Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball made some interesting remarks about school in an interview with GQ that dropped on Tuesday. His comments left a handful of NBA fans scratching their heads, to say the least.
“We not trippin’ off school. We not dumb,” Ball said, per GQ writer Tyler R. Tynes. “We know how to learn. We don’t need school. And school not even teachin’ you shit—what the f— is school?”
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Charlotte Hornets point guard took to Instagram to set the record straight. He clarified that he wasn’t trying to dissuade his younger fans from going to school, but rather suggesting that getting an education, or going to college, might not be for everyone.
“Let me rephrase… school not for EVERYBODY,” Ball wrote in a series of Instagram stories, per NBA Central.
Here’s what else Ball had to say on his earlier comments about school:
LaMelo Ball clarifies stance on skipping college pic.twitter.com/f3D6dyuOWp
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 17, 2021
For Ball, attending college clearly wasn’t a major priority and it’s paid off since he achieved his dream of making it to the NBA at the age of 19. He admitted as much in the same GQ interview.
“You wanna go to the league, so school’s not your priority,” Ball admitted.
The 19-year-old and his family clearly made the right decision to surpass college and head to professional basketball right away. After stints in Lithuania and Austrailia, he landed on the Hornets as the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
With a little experience at the professional level under his belt, Ball started to flourish right away. He thrived in his rookie season with the Hornets, averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc. His playmaking ability was on full display and his 6-foot-6 frame made him an above average rebounder as he went on to win Rookie of the Year.
Ball will look to build off his strong first year with the Hornets when the NBA begins a new season in October.
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