Seattle Ballers

Seattle Ballers
Seattle Ballers logo
LeagueJBA
Founded2018
HistorySeattle Ballers
2018 JBA season
LocationSeattle, Washington
Team coloursGreen, gold, white
     
Head coachCharles O'Bannon

The Seattle Ballers were a basketball team based in Seattle, Washington. The team competed in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league created for high school and junior college players as an alternative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

History

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The JBA was first announced on December 20, 2017, when media personality LaVar Ball said to Slam magazine that he would create a professional league targeted at high school graduates and fully funded by his sports apparel company Big Baller Brand.[1][2] The league held tryouts in Seattle in April 2018, initially selecting only four players onto the Seattle Ballers team.[3] Among them was Semaj Booker, who had previously made national headlines as a runaway child at age nine.[4] During an episode of Ball In The Family, it was revealed that joining alongside Booker were Ismael Muhammad, Joe Saterfield Jr., and Erwin Weary Jr.[5] At its tryout in Houston, Texas at a later date, the league brought in three-star recruit and former Southern Utah commit Jerell Springer to the Seattle Ballers squad.[6] On June 16, 2018, the JBA announced former UCLA basketball player Charles O'Bannon as the Ballers' head coach.

2018 roster

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Seattle Ballers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
SG 0 United States Springer, Jerell (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 25 – (1999-01-19)19 January 1999
G/F 1 United States Booker, Semaj 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 181 lb (82 kg) 27 – (1997-06-25)25 June 1997
SF 2 United States Vargas, Jerry 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
SG 3 United States Morgan, JaMichael 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
C 5 United States Mitchell, Devin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 25 – (1999-03-05)5 March 1999
PF 8 United States Mischke, Julius 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
SG 11 United States Cotton, Josiah 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 24 – (1999-11-16)16 November 1999
SG 15 United States Muhammad, Ishmael 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 25 – (1999-05-23)23 May 1999
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: July 14, 2018

References

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  1. ^ Calle, Franklyn (December 20, 2017). "LaVar Ball Launches Pro League". SLAM. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  2. ^ Rovell, Darren (December 21, 2017). "LaVar Ball plans to start league for high school graduates". ESPN. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  3. ^ Martin, Josh (April 26, 2018). "LaVar Ball's JBA league to reportedly hold more tryouts in Chicago". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Martin, Josh (April 10, 2018). "This JBA Seattle recruit was a famous runaway, stole car when he was 9". Lonzo Wire. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  5. ^ "'Ball in the Family': Going to LaVar Ball's JBA was LaMelo Ball's idea". 17 June 2018.
  6. ^ Grimala, Mike (April 22, 2018). "Why this Las Vegas basketball player is skipping college for LaVar Ball's pro league". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
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