Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum believes LiAngelo Ball will be an NBA player

"I think it's only right."

Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum of Team United States poses for photographs with his gold medal. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

By Tom Westerholm

1 minute to read

Could LiAngelo Ball make an NBA roster? Jayson Tatum thinks so.

The middle Ball brother made headlines when he was asked to join the Hornets’s Summer League team earlier this summer, and he earned some positive attention with his performance.

Tatum was cornered recently by TMZ and answered several questions about winning a gold medal, as well as the Celtics’s offseason acquisitions.

TMZ also asked the Celtics star if he believes Ball is an NBA player.

“Yeah, I think so,” Tatum answered. “I think it’s only right. He’s put in the work. I’m sure he’ll find his way onto a team somewhere.”

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Ball was always the least highly-regarded NBA prospect among the trio of famous, basketball-minded brothers. Lonzo’s size, team impact, and passing at UCLA made him one of the top prospects in his class, and LaMelo’s unique skills as a point guard did the same. The two brothers were selected No. 2 in 2017 and No. 3 in 2020 respectively.

LiAngelo, however, never caught on — a talented shooter, he isn’t a strong defender (unlike Lonzo) and he doesn’t have his brothers’ proclivity for passing and running the show. It remains to be seen whether a team will give him a shot at a training camp roster.

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Tatum told TMZ he’s excited to have Dennis Schroder — the former Laker who shored up the team’s bench depth at guard.

The TMZ reporter noted that some fans felt Schroder — who reportedly was offered and turned down an $84 million extension from the Lakers last season — “fumbled the bag.” Schroder signed with the Celtics on the taxpayer mid-level exception — a one-year deal worth $5.9 million.

“Obviously, hopefully, we’re going to have a great year,” Tatum told TMZ. “Have a good year — if you win, the rest of the stuff takes care of itself.”

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