LaVar Ball: I'm Pulling LaMelo Out of Chino Hills, Home-Schooling Him

This news qualifies as relatively astonishing from longtime LA Times high school sports reporter Eric Sondheimer:

You can read Sondheimer’s full story here in Los Angeles Times. This excerpt is interesting:

"“It’s good for Melo,” LaVar said. “Less distractions. He just needs to focus.” The next time people will be able to see LaMelo play is next spring in travel ball. “They’ll have to sit back and wait,” LaVar said."

At first blush, it’s fair to wonder if LaVar Ball also plans on having LaMelo Ball bypass in UCLA, which he is slated to after finishing high school. This possibility was already broached when Papa Ball announced his youngest son would have his own signature shoe, and to hell with the NCAA if that wouldn’t fly.

“He’s going to have a shoe,” LaVar said. “NCAA ain’t going to tell me [anything]. Because they’re not my boss. That’s what they do, but they’re not going to be like, ‘Oh, LaVar, you can’t bring that shoe out until we tell you.’ What? Something that I’m doing for my family? That’s mine? I’m not under no umbrella.”

Though, LaVar said today that the plan is still for LaMelo to go to UCLA. We’ll see I suppose. It as true as ever that LaMelo is newsworthy because his father made him a public figure.

UPDATE: LaVar Ball put the blame on the Chino Hills coach in comments to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne: