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I think it is safe to say that there is not a single thing that LaVar Ball can do that will surprise us anymore. The LA Times broke the news this afternoon that LaMelo will no longer attend Chino Hills and will forgo his last two seasons there to be home-schooled by none other than LaVar himself.
LaVar Ball to pull son LaMelo from Chino Hills and train him personally https://t.co/ZF0F4HGeth
— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) October 2, 2017
Ball told the Times’ Eric Sondheimer:
I'm going to make him the best basketball player ever. It's good for Melo. Less distractions. He just needs to focus. They'll have to sit back and wait.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne tweeted a longer quote from Ball:
Just spoke to LaVar Ball on why he's pulling his youngest son out of HS and home schooling him. pic.twitter.com/nvUprIJnew
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 2, 2017
In the big picture, with a full scholarship offer from UCLA, there is not a lot that LaMelo has to play for, except the joy and camaraderie that often accompanies playing high school basketball. However, it had already been widely reported that LaVar Ball was not happy with the new coach for Chino Hills, and not happy with the new coach, Dennis Latimore, might be an understatement.
For those of us that follow high school sports, it will be a loss to not be able to follow LaMelo and his development, especially in the Southern California area. For those interested in following his development you will have to follow LaVar Ball’s AAU team, the Big Ballers to see him play.