I remember watching LaMelo Ball shoot basket after basket before practice in a tiny gym in the sleepy town of Prienai, Lithuania, in 2018. He was trying to find his rhythm, beginning by standing directly under the hoop and inching farther and farther out. He held up his release, and his fingertips cupped down with ease, as if he were back home in Chino Hills, California. I kept thinking, “He needs this ritual.” Nothing else was familiar. Not the food. Not the snow. Not the language. His father, LaVar Ball, had just pulled him out of high school and sent him to compete professionally overseas, forfeiting his college eligibility. It wasn’t exactly a proven route. And there was a great deal of pressure on LaMelo. Would he live up to the hype of his older brother, Lonzo Ball, then a rookie for the Lakers? How would he fare against grown men in a completely different environment?
I knew then, sitting in the stands in that modest Lithuanian gym, that I was much more interested in telling the full scope of Ball’s story — and the stories of other NBA superstars — through a human-interest lens, rather than a purely basketball lens. I’ve always been more interested in the head and the heart than anything physical. I see today’s NBA superstars and want to know: what drives them? What inspires them? What do they fear? What wakes them up each day? Everyone comes from somewhere, and setting is never just a place in my stories; sometimes, it’s the story. LaMelo is a budding star now for the Charlotte Hornets, and I’ve grown a lot as a writer since following him around the globe, from Lithuania to Wollongong, Australia, the following year in 2020, before he was drafted No. 3 overall. I’m still chasing my dream, too — writing human interest stories.
Just as I did at my previous publications, as a senior writer at The Ringer and a staff writer both at B/R Mag and the Orange County Register, I am hoping to bring you stories now at The Athletic not just about who is dominant on the floor, but who is interesting off of it. I wrote a book on Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 and followed that up with a book on Hakeem Olajuwon in 2024, one of Antetokounmpo’s biggest inspirations. I am at work on my third book, a biography of Larry Bird (I’m from Los Angeles — but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell a layered story that Celtics fans want to read!). I try to approach stories with a sense of empathy and attention to detail, writing, for instance, about Cade Cunningham overcoming a feeling of what he called imposter syndrome to lead his team to a magical season; or Jalen Williams proving himself again and again to becoming a franchise player for OKC; or DeMar DeRozan finding solace and even joy as he speaks openly about his mental-health struggles.
There has never been a more fascinating time for storytelling in the NBA. Players are sharing more of themselves than ever, and their thoughts and insights can give fans a better feel for the players filling up their social media feeds with amazing highlights. It creates a closer connection between athlete and fan, and greater respect for players’ experiences on and off the floor. Basketball holds a unique place in culture, and I’m excited to continue to tell NBA stories for The Athletic.
Who should I write about next?