It turns out the Ball brothers looked just fine for BC Vytautus, as their squad defeated BC Zalgiris 90-80 on Tuesday. LiAngelo scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds. LaMelo added 10 points and made a few flashy assists in his Lithuanian debut.
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Now, let’s be clear. This was not on the same level as even a Division I college basketball game. This was an exhibition contest as part of the Big Baller Brand Challenge. (Yes, that’s a real thing — seriously, scroll down for the full schedule.) There were certain stretches of action where it looked like a pickup basketball game.
Despite the quality, the whole thing was actually… kind of fun? Vytautus and Zalgiris ran up and down the floor without much concern for defense, and fans saw enough highlight plays stay interested. The best part by far was listening to the commentary of the play-by-play man and color commentator. These guys explained the different aspects of the international game while offering funny and occasionally bizarre observations about what they were seeing. That alone made the stream worth watching.
Check out the Facebook Live video below to see how the Ball brothers handled their debuts. (In case you’re looking for them, LaMelo is No. 1 and LiAngelo is No. 3 in the white uniforms.)