Lonzo and LaMelo Ball are the only brothers to be top-three draft selections in the NBA. However, a common running theme of their careers is how injuries have held them back from reaching their potential.
LaMelo Ball has been the more fortunate sibling, though, as he has been able to show that the sky's the limit for him, having secured an All-Star appearance in his second year in the league. The Charlotte Hornets star even looked on his way to clinching another berth in the midseason showcase before a left calf strain caused him to be sidelined for at least two weeks.
Yet, there is hope that he can come back completely healthy anytime soon. A possible silver lining is that his return to the court might coincide with the injury-depleted Hornets squad finally being at full strength.
Lonzo Ball offers an interesting theory about the cause of his injuries
While there is still plenty of optimism about the youngest Ball brother's outlook health-wise, the same cannot be said about Lonzo Ball.
The Chicago Bulls veteran had to miss the previous two campaigns due to various ailments, and this season, he has suited up in just eight out of a possible 25 contests. It's unclear why his NBA stint has been mired by injuries when there were no signs his career would turn out this way during his college years.
Lonzo Ball recently offered a theory, which their father, LaVar, would likely disagree with. In an interview with ESPN, the 27-year-old playmaker wondered whether wearing Big Baller Brand shoes contributed to his first major injury, a sprained MCL, during his rookie campaign. As Zo put it, "I think it's a possibility for sure, to be honest with you. I wasn't really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them."
Of course, that's just conjecture, although it wouldn't be surprising if that were indeed the case. And in hindsight, LaMelo Ball made the right decision to ditch his father's BBB brand. Instead, he signed with Puma well before Charlotte drafted him in 2020.
It's tough to imagine the 23-year-old star having to miss significantly more games than he has already sat out had he remained loyal to BBB. Many of the Hornets' faithful are already frustrated with how the injury bug has been unfair to the team. Seeing LaMelo Ball tread the route his older brother has had to limp through would have been devastating for fans.
Well, Charlotte isn't out of the woods yet. The 2021 Rookie of the Year still has a long way to go before shedding his injury-prone reputation. If he cannot, perhaps it's time to consider that the shoes aren't the Ball family's real problem.