LaMelo Ball grew up hearing he’d be better than Michael Jordan. Turns out that wasn’t the loftiest goal in the family — the Charlotte Hornets point guard told the Minnesota Timberwolves he aspired to be the president of the United States during a pre-draft interview in 2020, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
The Timberwolves held the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and the debate leading up to the event centered on whether they would select Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman or Ball. Ball reportedly made the choice easier on Minnesota, Krawczynski said during an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show.”
“There were a million different reasons in (the Timberwolves) evaluation. But one of them was that they had an interview with LaMelo Ball during this process — trying to figure out, ‘Hey, is this the guy for us?’ And LaMelo did not interview very well,” he said. “One of the questions that was asked of him was: ‘Hey, LaMelo, after you’re done playing, what do you see yourself doing when your career is over? What kind of things do you aspire to?’ And LaMelo said, ‘I want to be president of the United States.’”
At the time, the Timberwolves were not sure whether Ball was serious or whether he was just disinterested in the interview process, team sources told Krawczynski. Minnesota ultimately selected Edwards, who’s been a bona fide star in his five seasons in the league. The three-time NBA All-Star averaged 27.6 points per game, along with 4.5 assists and 5.7 rebounds last season, and his 320 3-pointers were tops in the NBA. He’s led the Timberwolves to four consecutive playoff appearances, including two straight Western Conference finals appearances.
Meanwhile, Ball was selected by the Hornets with the No. 3 pick. The talented point guard won Rookie of the Year in 2021 after averaging 15.7 points and 6.1 assists per game. He was named an All-Star in his second season and led Charlotte to its first winning season since 2015. Ball seemed primed to potentially lead the Hornets out of basketball purgatory.
But Ball has struggled with injuries and consistency since his All-Star appearance. Since 2022, he’s missed 111 games and over 46 percent of Charlotte’s games during that span. The Hornets have gone a combined 71-186 during that stretch.
Ball’s defensive intensity and carelessness with the basketball (averaging over three turnovers per game in his career) have been questioned during his time in Charlotte. The point guard is averaging a near double-double to start the season, though, with 23.3 points and 9.8 assists per game.
Though Edwards and Ball have enjoyed varying levels of success, Minnesota is likely content with its decision, no matter whether Ball ends up in the West Wing or not.
