LaMelo Ball can be No. 1 draft pick, says ex-NBA player and new coach

As far as Jermaine Jackson is concerned, Lonzo won’t be the only member of the Ball family to be drafted into the NBA as a lottery pick.

In fact, Jackson, head coach at Spire Basketball Academy, where the youngest Ball, LaMelo, just enrolled, says the 17-year-old can “no question” end up going No. 1 overall.

“LaMelo Ball can be the No. 1 pick in a year or two going to the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Jackson, who played five seasons in the NBA, said in an interview with TMZ Sports. “Ain’t no question about it. … He has the talent that, some of it just can’t be taught. So I’m not the guy that’s going to say, ‘Oh, let me put some handcuffs on you, let me put some more dribbling on you.’ Hell no. Do what you do and I’m going to sit back and watch you do what you do.”

LaMelo, who last year withdrew from high school and signed a deal to play professional basketball in Lithuania, on Tuesday announced his decision to attend Spire Institute, which is in Geneva, Ohio. 

LaMelo was originally committed to UCLA for the 2019 class before heading to Europe. He turned heads as a high school standout at Chino Hills (Calif.), where he scored 92 points in a game in 2017.

“My understanding is (LaMelo) was looking to relive that high school experience, looking to really focus on his game, as well as his education, and graduate,” Justin Brantley, Spire’s associate academy director, told ESPN. “It’s more so of a feeling-out process to make sure it was the right fit all the way around, make sure we can help him, make sure we can provide him what he needs socially.

“Basketball is the furthest thing from his mind (in this decision), because he can develop somewhere else. It’s all the components that Spire provides.”