We may have started to take it for granted because of all the sibling clashes we see these days on the NBA: The Currys, the Thompson twins, the Martin twins, the Holidays… we even saw a father and son take the court earlier this season with LeBron and Bronny James.
Still, it’s hard to imagine how surreal and cool it must be to face your brother in an NBA game. We got to see a very special version of that on Friday night, when LaMelo Ball and his older brother Lonzo Ball met on the court for the first time in more than 1,000 days (1,145 to be precise) due to their multi-year absence. Lonzo. while dealing with career-threatening injuries.
That was all in the past, however, on Friday, when the two brothers defended each other during stretches of the Charlotte Hornets’ 125-123 victory over the Chicago Bulls. LaMelo won both the individual and team battles, as he racked up 26 points and nine assists despite going just 1 of 9 from 3-point range. Lonzo, for his part, contributed six points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in 24 minutes off the bench.
“It’s always a pleasure for me, definitely bigger than most games for me, just because he’s my little brother,” Lonzo Ball said after the game. “I grew up playing with him a lot. So seeing the growth has been incredible.”
The climax of the battle between brothers came midway through the first quarter, when Lonzo blocked LaMelo with multiple efforts over a 15-second span. First he sailed over a screen, then under it, then contested LaMelo’s 3-point attempt and finally beat him to the point on a drive to force a kick.
Lonzo also hit a three-pointer over his little brother in the second quarter.
To make the night even more family-friendly, middle brother and rising music sensation LiAngelo Ball (aka Gelo) was on hand at the United Center.
Lonzo was a little bitter about failing to block one of LaMelo’s layup attempts at a crucial moment in the game with just under two minutes left, instead fouling him and sending him to the line.
“Probably nine times out of 10 I block it,” Lonzo Ball said after the game. “He went 1-for-10 and made a free throw.”
The Ball brothers became viral sensations during their high school days in Chino Hills, winning a national title in 2015-16 with all three playing together (along with current Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu… decent team). His father, LaVar, always abrasively said that all of his sons would play in the NBA, and two out of three certainly isn’t bad, especially considering they’ve both shown moments of brilliance and LaMelo has already been an All-Star.
Hopefully we don’t have to wait another 1,000 days for the next showdown between the Ball brothers, because it’s always a pleasure.
