They have a point
There’s no question that LaMelo Ball, a sophomore guard at Chino Hills High School, put on a dazzling display of skill when he racked up a staggering 92 points in his team’s 146-123 victory over Los Osos. With LaMelo’s brother LiAngelo, the team’s usual high scorer, sidelined with an injury, LaMelo’s display gave his team something to cheer for just three days after their 60-game winning streak was snapped.
Said LaMelo’s coach Stephan Gilling to the LA Times, “It was very exciting, almost overwhelming.”
Unsurprisingly, the coach on the other team didn’t see the feat as an accomplishment so much as a farce, calling the display “a joke.” Los Osos coach Dave Smith claimed that LaMelo’s teammates were fouling his players intentionally to stop the clock, providing LaMelo even more opportunities to score.
“The Ball boys are very talented and great players, but it’s embarrassing to high school athletics. I’ve been coaching for 35 years, and we’ve turned high school athletics into individualism,” he said after the game.
While the team and coach may have to answer the questions about their sportsmanship in the game, the future bodes well for both LaMelo and LiAngelo, who have both already committed to UCLA where another Ball brother, Lonzo, plays as a freshman.