LaMelo Ball and his family step off a wild ride as winners

Thursday night, LaMelo Ball was taken No. 3 overall by the Charlotte Hornets . Thus ends one of the most interesting and closely covered basketball journeys to get to the NBA that I can remember. As he prepares to start his career in the Association, I’m not sure I’ll ever see a player or family like this again.

Now that both LaMelo and his oldest brother Lonzo Ball have emerged from the madness as top three picks, one thing is clear. The Ball family experienced highs, lows, irrational hate, irrational hope and everything in between before ultimately emerging victorious.

My journey observing Melo and his family on and off the court goes back over eight years at this point.

I first saw LaMelo, Lonzo and middle brother LiAngelo Ball (who was most recently acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League team in the spring) way back in July of 2012. All three brothers were playing for their father Lavar and mother Tina on the family run QJZ Elite team. Despite Lonzo being the oldest and a few months away from starting high school, there they were playing 17U basketball. They were running, they were pressing, they were jacking up three and pretty much everybody in the building thought it was crazy.

People thinking the Ball family was crazy never ended either.

Even the most casual basketball observers are familiar with the Ball family. Lonzo played a year at UCLA before heading off to the NBA. LiAngelo and LaMelo (who was only 13) ended up committing to UCLA as well. There was Gelo getting caught up in a shoplifting incident on a UCLA team trip to China. There was Lavar pulling Gelo out of UCLA and Melo out of school. They went to Lithuania. Dad started a pro league featuring Melo and Gelo, there was the Big Baller Brand, there was reality tv. LaMelo spent last season in Australia.

You name it, the Balls have done it.

Like or not – and let’s be clear here, I love it even if there were times where I questions if the moves would work out or not – the family has always found ways to stay relevant and done things a little bit better each step along the way. Their willingness to go out on a limb and sometimes fail, has led to many more wins that losses.

Ultimately, that willingness to risk it all because of an incredible belief in themselves leads us to where we are tonight. Even before Melo heard his name called by Adam Silver, the moves made by him and his family have created a valuable brand, a cultural icon and you know what else? A guy who looks to be a pretty damn good basketball player.

Who knows exactly what the future holds for the youngest and maybe most talented member of the Ball family in Charlotte. He’s a gifted passer with size, flair and the mental capacity to handle just about any and everything that has been thrown at him. Outside of LeBron James, I can’t think of another prospect who will have arrived in the NBA more closely scrutinized by the media and the public than Melo has been. Now, he’ll get to be mentored by the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan.

If all of that counts for as much as I think it can, then tonight will serve as not only the end of a wild journey to get to the NBA, but as a first step in what has the potential to be a long and successful career for LaMelo Ball.