The youngest two sons of Lavar Ball finally made their much anticipated professional debut in the inaugural game of the "Big Baller Brand Challenge." The exhibition showcase, created by Lavar to show off the family brand, got off to a great start for the Balls as they won 90-80 over Zalgiris' U-18 team.

The game featured several European prospects who have shown ability worthy enough to be internationally scouted. With about 1,500 fans on hand, including their parents, both LiAngelo and LaMelo flashed some of the talent that has made their family's journey through basketball so fascinating to watch.

It is basically unheard of for U.S. college players to opt to play overseas rather than at a Division 1 school like UCLA. It is even rarer to skip your final two years of high school to do the same. While the Balls' hands were forced by LiAngelo's suspension at UCLA, pulling the younger son out of high school was much more of a stunner.

LiAngelo is labeled as barely an NBA prospect at this point. LaMelo, on the other hand, has been ranked as high as the top 10 for players in his class. Playing college basketball was supposed to be a formality before entering the NBA. This new route of playing in Lithuania can pay off in spades, or blow up spectacularly for the whole family.

Why are people so intrigued with the Balls?

While many have nothing good to say about the outspoken LaVar Ball and how he chooses to raise his kids, there is no denying that he knows how to draw a crowd. The game was broadcast live on Facebook and had upwards of 120,000 worldwide viewers.

Lavar's ability to completely disrupt Vytautas' season by creating the BBB Challenge just to show off his kids to scouts should not be discounted.

No team would willingly bend over backward for a pair of unproven kids, but these aren't your normal teenage athletes.

Just by having the kids on the team, the marketing and exposure alone will surely make it all a worthwhile endeavor. It''s not often that people from around the world are tuning in to a B squad Lithuanian game, but that's what the Balls bring to the table.

It is likely that the exposure and media coverage will benefit all parties. Lavar will get to sell more shoes, and LiAngelo and LaMelo will get a chance to see where they stack up against other potential prospects their own age. Vytautas is already seeing the benefits as they've become the most popular team in the country as a result.
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