LiAngelo Ball has opened up about why he walked away from basketball to pursue a music career, citing financial reality as the main factor behind the decision.
In a recent conversation, Ball explained that playing in the NBA G League wasn’t sustainable for him as an adult, pointing to the league’s $3,000 monthly salary.
“Really how it pays, the way of living. Everything else…,” Ball said. “My brothers [have big contracts], I was in the G league. That’s $3k a month. As a grown man $3k ain’t helping nothing.”
The 26-year-old, who spent two seasons with the Greensboro Swarm before briefly joining Astros de Jalisco, said the choice to switch careers wasn’t difficult.
“I was getting my [money] and throwing it,” he added. “It wasn’t like a hard decision [when I chose music]. I wasn’t contemplating, like ‘Damn I gotta hoop.’ At this point, I got to live now.”
Ball, the middle brother in the basketball family led by Lonzo and LaMelo, struggled to carve out a permanent role in the pros.
During his G League stint from 2021 to 2023, he averaged 5.3 points across 50 total games, shooting just 36.6 percent from the field in his final season.
But after moving on from the court, Ball found quick success in music.
His debut single “Tweaker” went viral in January 2025 after being teased during a livestream with N3on, eventually debuting at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
A remix featuring Lil Wayne followed in February, boosting Ball’s profile as an emerging artist in hip-hop.
That same month, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Ball had signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings worth up to $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed.
Ball has since previewed two more tracks—“Law & Order” and “Can You Please”—during livestream appearances, continuing to build his presence in the rap scene.
