There has been a frenzy about LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball moving to Lithuania since long before their actual arrival in the country, but the news cycle isn’t slowing down in the least. In fact, the club set to employ the two youngsters made a big announcement on Friday, and, well, it is a bizarre and interesting one.
In short, Vytautas will be withdrawing from the Baltic Basketball League in the middle of the season in order to create a special, five-game showcase for the family. The quintet of games will be dubbed as the “Big Baller Brand Challenge Games,” and they will mark the official start to the pro careers of both Ball brothers against what the team describes as “some of the top young Lithuanian basketball talent.”
As you may expect, there is a marketing angle involved, as the announcement indicates Facebook is set to broadcast all five of the games, vaguely in conjunction with the family’s Ball In The Family reality series on the social network. The games will be broadcast in English beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 1:30 pm ET, with afternoon tip-offs over the three-week period following the opener.
The full schedule can be found below:
- Tuesday, Jan. 9, 1:30pm ET: Vytautas vs. Kauno Žalgiris-2
- Monday, Jan. 15, 1:30pm ET: Vytautas vs. Vilniaus Lietuvos-rytas-2
- Friday, Jan. 17, 2:00pm ET: Vytautas vs. Šakių Vytis
- Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2:00pm ET: Vytautas vs. Alytaus Dzukija
- Sunday, Jan. 28, 2:00pm ET: Vytautas vs. Jonavos Jonava
In many ways, this is a strange decision, simply because it is unthinkable to many that a professional team would bow out of its professional league in the midst of a campaign in order to placate the Ball family. Still, this would seemingly be a huge marketing opportunity for the club, and the announcement pledges a return to the Baltic Basketball League next season.
LaVar Ball and company have pledged world domination, and apparently, this is another step in that plan.
