Junior Basketball Association

The Junior Basketball Association (JBA) was an American basketball league. Its design was that of an alternative to the NCAA, allowing high school and junior college players to turn professional straight out of school. The league was first announced in December 2017 by LaVar Ball and was said to be fully funded by Ball's sports apparel company, Big Baller Brand. The JBA existed for just one season in 2018, featuring eight teams from major US cities.

Junior Basketball Association
Most recent season or competition:
2018 JBA season
Official logo featuring Lonzo Ball
SportBasketball
FoundedDecember 20, 2017 (2017-12-20)
FounderLaVar Ball
Inaugural season2018
Ceased2019
DirectorLaVar Ball, Alan Foster
CommissionerLaVar Ball
No. of teams8
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersLos Angeles, CA
Last
champion(s)		LA
TV partner(s)Facebook Watch
Sponsor(s)Big Baller Brand
Official websitewww.JuniorBasketball.com
(inactive)

While the league has not formally folded, no future seasons have been announced, and the league’s website is no longer active. The JBA faced criticism from within for failing to honor its contracts and pay its players and is widely seen as having been created solely as a platform for his sons, disregarding the futures and livelihoods of the sixty other players in the competition.[1] Now with the discontinuation of the league, players have not only been left without a job but have allowed endless promises and their modest $3,000 a month income to take away their college eligibility and opportunity for a fully-paid college education.[2]

History

On December 20, 2017, SLAM magazine had first reported on the formation of the Junior Basketball Association after being sent a statement from LaVar Ball, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Big Baller Brand and father to New Orleans Pelicans player Lonzo Ball and former BC Prienai players LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball.[3] According to Ball, his decision to launch the league was prompted by comments from Mark Emmert, president of the NCAA.[4] Earlier in the month, Emmert had remarked on LiAngelo's departure from UCLA following a shoplifting arrest in China: "Is this a part of someone being part of your university as a student-athlete or is it about using college athletics to prepare yourself to be a pro? If it's the latter, you shouldn't be there in the first place."[5]

The JBA was established as an alternative route for top amateur players to play professionally without having to compete at the college level for no money.[6] As of the 2018 season, each player earns $3,000 per month, and 60 percent of their jersey sales, in addition to other endorsement deals.[7] The JBA is fully funded by Big Baller Brand, and players are required to wear the brand's merchandise.[6] The league was expected to pay for travel, food, and lodging expenses, although the source of its finances was not disclosed.[8] Its official logo features LaVar Ball's son Lonzo.[6]

On February 2, 2018, it was revealed that the JBA had directly messaged about 80 blue-chip high school basketball players through Twitter about potentially joining its league, with a vast majority declining the offer and none of them ultimately accepting.[9] The league appointed former National Basketball Association (NBA) players Ed O'Bannon and Earl Watson, along with Lonzo Ball, to its advisory board and selection committee for choosing players who will compete in the league.[8] In its inaugural tryouts, the JBA most notably signed Greg Floyd Jr., a four-star recruit from Las Vegas, and Kezo Brown, a Chicago native and former three-star point guard for Simeon Career Academy.[10][11] The founder's youngest son LaMelo, a former five-star recruit with professional experience, also joined, being labeled by the league as its "marquee player."[12]

Near the halfway mark of the 2018 JBA season, LaMelo's older brother LiAngelo Ball joined the league after previously stating that he would not participate.[13]

Teams
Location of venues for 2018 season[14]

The 2018 JBA season consisted of eight teams, with each representing an American city and having the nickname "Ballers." Teams did not occupy a specified home arena; instead, every team faced each other in ten different arenas across the United States.

Team Home city Colors Head coach
Atlanta Ballers Atlanta, Georgia     Douglas Byrd[15]
Chicago Ballers Chicago, Illinois     Eddie Denard
Nicolas Colon[16]
Dallas Ballers Dallas, Texas     Ray Johnson[17]
Houston Ballers Houston, Texas     Everett Rick[18]
Los Angeles Ballers Los Angeles, California     Doyle Balthazar[19]
New York Ballers New York City, New York     Marvin McCullough[20]
Philadelphia Ballers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania     James Martin[21]
Seattle Ballers Seattle, Washington     Charles O'Bannon[22]

Format

The JBA was made up of eight teams, with up to 10 players on each roster.[4] The league only allowed players between the ages of 16 and 21 and accepts graduating seniors or students working towards a General Educational Development (GED), with rare exceptions being included.[23] All teams featured players primarily handpicked from tryouts held before the season.[8] According to the league, players who fail to play professional basketball would be able to work for Big Baller Brand.[24]

The 2018 JBA season included an All-Star Game, playoffs, and finals.[8] The regular season included eight games per team, with games taking place in venues across the United States.[14] The champions of the inaugural season, the Los Angeles Ballers, were given Cadillac ATS vehicles as a reward from the league.[14][25] Following an eight-team playoffs tournament, which concluded in August, the league scheduled a 28-game international tour from September to December 2018 in which its top players would face several European and Asian professional teams.[26]

Through the 2018 season, the JBA aired games through Facebook Live[27] with Allen Bell from the "AB the HERO" YouTube channel and Brandon Williams from "Fresh Sports Talk" as the broadcasters for each game.

Reception

Shortly after JBA was announced in December 2017, Mike Golic of ESPN was among those who expressed doubts about the league's future.[28] The Niagara Gazette considered the league as "ambitious, but not original."[29] On the other hand, The Root considered Ball's idea "genius," and Salon believed that the JBA could "force NCAA reform."[30][31] Lonzo Ball, son of the JBA's founder, suggested that he would have preferred the JBA over college basketball had that option been around at the time.[32] During the 2018 JBA season, multiple NBA players commented on the league, including C. J. McCollum and Metta World Peace.[33][34] In addition, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks attended a JBA game in Las Vegas.[35]

JBA tickets, which cost $99 for courtside seats, $59 for center court, and $40 for above center court, were criticized as "unreasonably expensive" by the USA Today website For the Win.[36][37] The website also labeled JBA ticket sales as "comically abysmal," with over 90 percent of seats still being available less than three weeks before the season opener.[38] The New York Post wrote, "In what should come a surprise to no one, LaVar Ball is struggling to find an audience with his newly launched Junior Basketball Association."[39]

On August 16, 2018, Brandon Phillips, who was cut by the Los Angeles Ballers in the middle of the season to make way for LiAngelo Ball, alleged that he was only paid one-third of his promised salary while having to pay for travel costs.[40] He later expressed regret for giving up his college basketball eligibility for a single paycheck of $1,000.[41]

References
  1. https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2019/09/20/lavar-ball-news-jba-team-usa-contract-alan-foster-big-baller-brand/
  2. https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2018/09/04/ex-jba-player-brandon-phillips-regrets-college/
  3. Calle, Franklyn (December 20, 2017). "LaVar Ball Launches Pro League". SLAM. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  4. Rovell, Darren (December 21, 2017). "LaVar Ball plans to start league for high school graduates". ESPN. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  5. Bieler, Des (December 21, 2017). "LaVar Ball to start pro league for NBA hopefuls who don't want to attend college". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  6. Wells, Adam (December 21, 2017). "LaVar Ball to Start Big Boy Brand League for Players Who Skip College". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  7. Martin, Josh (June 15, 2018). "LaVar Ball reveals salaries, jersey sale percentages for JBA players". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  8. Calle, Franklyn (March 26, 2018). "JBA Announces Earl Watson, Ed O'Bannon & Lonzo Ball As Selection Committee Team, Reveals Tryout Sites". SLAM. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  9. Winfield, Kristian (February 2, 2018). "LaVar Ball is sliding in DMs, getting turned down by top HS recruits for his pro league". SB Nation. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  10. O'Brien, Michael (May 19, 2018). "Kezo Brown is going pro, will play in LaVar Ball's JBA". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  11. Procter, Scott (April 17, 2018). "Junior Basketball Association aims to rival NCAA". The Spectator. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  12. Martin, Josh (June 12, 2018). "LaMelo Ball signs with Los Angeles Ballers as JBA's 'Marquee Player'". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  13. Lewis, Alec (July 9, 2018). "LiAngelo Ball joins brother LaMelo Ball, will play in Junior Basketball Association league". Yahoo.com. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  14. "JBA". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  15. "Douglas Byrd". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  16. Peter, Josh (July 20, 2018). "Coach in LaVar Ball's Junior Basketball Association who got physical with player no longer with team". USA Today. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  17. "Ray Johnson". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  18. "Everett Rick". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  19. "Doyle Balthazar". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  20. Junior Basketball Association [@bbbjbaleague] (June 18, 2018). "The New York Ballers, led by Coach Marvin McCullough will face the Los Angeles Ballers in just 3 more days! This team is fierce and hungry. Season opener is June 21st at @CBBankArena" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. "James Martin". Junior Basketball Association. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  22. Junior Basketball Association [@bbbjbaleague] (May 30, 2018). "..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. Calle, Franklyn (May 4, 2018). "LaMelo Ball Will Join The JBA League This Summer". Slam. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  24. "Why I bet my basketball future on LaVar Ball". 1 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  25. Pierno, Ian (August 14, 2018). "LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball Combine for 92, Win First-Ever JBA Championship". Slam. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  26. Rivas, Christian (September 12, 2018). "JBA announces international season opener, 13-man roster". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  27. Martin, Josh (June 15, 2018). "Junior Basketball Association to broadcast games on Facebook". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  28. Mullen, Logan (December 21, 2017). "Mike Golic Has Great Reason Why LaVar Ball's Basketball League Will Fail". New England Sports Network. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  29. Capobianco, Tony (December 24, 2017). "LaVar Ball's JBA strategy ambitious, but not original". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  30. Crockett Jr., Stephen A. (December 20, 2017). "LaVar Ball Just Declared War on the NCAA, and Something Tells Me This Isn't Going to End Well". The Root. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  31. Watkins, D. (December 21, 2017). "LaVar Ball's junior basketball league could force NCAA reform". Salon. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  32. Rapp, Timothy (April 26, 2018). "Lonzo Ball Says He Would've Picked LaVar's JBA League Instead of 1 Year at UCLA". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  33. "CJ McCollum thinks LaVar Ball's JBA is 'a good idea' but sees problems". 28 April 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  34. "Metta World Peace thinks JBA will compete with NCAA 'pretty soon'". 29 July 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  35. "Trae Young supports LiAngelo, LaMelo Ball at JBA game in Las Vegas". 27 July 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  36. "New Junior Basketball Association to host two games at Kent's ShoWare Center". Kent Reporter. May 22, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  37. Joseph, Andrew (May 21, 2018). "The ticket prices for LaVar Ball's JBA league are unreasonably expensive". For The Win. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  38. Joseph, Andrew (June 4, 2018). "The ticket sales for LaVar Ball's JBA league have been comically abysmal". For The Win. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  39. Hendricks, Jaclyn (June 5, 2018). "LaVar Ball's basketball league is not going well". New York Post. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  40. Wells, Adam (August 16, 2018). "Brandon Phillips Says LaVar Ball's JBA Didn't Pay Him His Full Contract Amount". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  41. Rude, Jacob (September 4, 2018). "Ex-JBA player Brandon Phillips regrets not going to college". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
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