The Hornets took Ball with the third pick in Wednesday’s draft. It caps an irreplicable journey that includes stops in the JBA, Lithuania, and Australia—and offers key insights into the future of player development. LaMelo’s winding path then took him overseas, to two stops 10,000 miles apart. The first stop was Lithuania, wherein 2018 a 16-year-old Ball was too young and undeveloped to keep up with fully grown professionals. The second stop was Australia, where last season he played with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League. The ball was part of a larger group of college-aged prospects, including RJ Hampton, who signed in Australia, and the move helped Ball’s stock soar. Find out the full story in his Before They Were Famous video.