Driving along the 71 Freeway toward the Inland Empire, you pass Chino Hills High and immediately think of the Ball brothers and the greatest season of high school basketball excellence.
It led to “SNL Weekend Update” skits of their father, LaVar, who was a soothsayer telling everyone that his boys would be stars while granting any and all interviews to media and fans alike. No high school team in Southern California has generated more interest and excitement. You had to line up hours before tipoff to get into gyms. Then the fun began — dunks, shot attempts from well beyond NBA three-point range and fans begging for autographs from teenagers at a public school.
They were the teenage Harlem Globetrotters during the 2015-16 season.
“It was crazy, something we never thought was going to happen,” said Steve Baik, who coached Chino Hills during the 2015-16 season. “We were learning on the fly, getting extra security, managing ticket sales, creating guest lists. It was a storybook situation.”
The team would go 35-0, winning Southern Section and state championships. Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball became social media sensations. Anyone with a camera sought to maximize the moment. And yet, as big of a circus atmosphere that it became, the focus never changed. They wanted to go unbeaten and prove they were the No. 1 team in the nation.
This is the 10th anniversary of a season that makes people smile when they reminisce about all the personalities involved, all the images they saw, all the greatness that was on display. Three of the starters would become NBA first-round draft picks — Lonzo, LaMelo and Onyeka Okongwu. Lonzo became a Laker. LaMelo grew to be the tallest Ball brother at 6 feet 7 and maybe the best. LiAngelo became a rapper. Eli Scott, the fifth starter, became a star at Loyola Marymount. Okongwu went to USC before becoming an Atlanta Hawks first-round pick.
“I felt that whole year we were going against teams that wanted to give us their best shot,” Baik said. “It was truly a gauntlet. When I look back, it’s remarkable how many games we could have lost. If we were 34-1, we would have considered that season a loss.”
Eighteen times, Chino Hills scored 100 or more points, starting with 131 points in an opening win over San Bernardino. There were two wins over Foothills Christian, led by future first-round draft pick TJ Leaf. There was an 83-82 win over national power Montverde Academy at the City of Palms tournament in Florida. There was a four-point win over Bishop Montgomery in a game during which Lonzo was injured and others were sick. This team inflicted the worst defeat ever for Mater Dei and legendary coach Gary McKnight, 102-54, in the Southern Section playoffs.
The only time the Huskies ever trailed at halftime was against De La Salle in the state championship game in Sacramento. They fell behind by two points and ended up winning 70-50 to complete their unbeaten season.
As someone who witnessed many of Chino Hills’ games that season, one of the main questions from the start was whether LaMelo would start as a freshman. That was the big discussion in the summer of 2015.
“It wasn’t a matter of figuring out if we would start him,” Baik said. “We had a couple of practices and he was special. There’s not too many point guards who are elite passers. I grew up admiring Jason Kidd, Jacque Vaughn. And now he was on the same team as Lonzo.”
When LaMelo scored 27 points in his summer high school debut as a 13-year-old, the momentum of forming a once-in-the-lifetime team with three brothers leading the way was unstoppable.
During the season, the most remarkable moments were seen by reporters after games. The Ball brothers were led to a Chino Hills classroom to be interviewed. LaVar was nowhere to be found. He purposely let his boys sink or swim on their own. Lonzo was the quiet, reserved brother. LiAngelo was always smiling. And LaMelo was LaVar’s twin — you never knew what might come out of his mouth. There were no agents or public relations specialists watching over them. Their parents trusted them to be good people. And they were.
Lonzo was always the leader and ready to step in when needed. His passes were magnificent and his unselfishness legendary, and basketball old-timers recognized a teenager mature beyond his years.
“I just knew they were really good kids, different from other superstars,” Baik said. “They were really about the team. Lonzo led the charge being the most unselfish player. I had to beg him at times to shoot. They were focused on their goal. Their parents groomed them. They were focused on becoming professionals at a young age.”
LaVar and his wife, Tina, were always accessible, looking on as proud parents. LaVar, of course, was a little more vocal. But he was so friendly and approachable that even opposing fans had fun engaging in banter and discussions. And once they saw the entertainment provided by the boys, they became fans, too.
Baik resigned at the end of the season, with speculation that LaVar forced him out. Baik said that was not true. He had his ups and downs with LaVar but was planning to leave coaching after the birth of his second child.
“Part of me wishes I could have continued to coach LaMelo all the way through,” he said.
Baik ended up accepting a job at Fairfax after the surprising retirement of longtime coach Harvey Kitani. Baik spent three seasons there, winning a City title in 2019 before leaving high school coaching. He has relocated to Tennessee and helps run clinics and coaches youth basketball.
LaVar would become more controversial, pulling LaMelo from Chino Hills during his junior season to train him and then send him overseas. He created his own shoe company, Big Baller Brand. His sayings, “Stay in your lane” and “Speak it into existence,” became national fodder. His wife suffered a stroke in 2017 and he dedicated himself to helping her recover. Recently, he had his own health crisis, having his right leg amputated after complications with diabetes. He said he wants to alert others with diabetes to take care of themselves.
LaMelo is one of the stars in the NBA playing for the Charlotte Hornets, earning a spot in the 2022 All-Star Game. Lonzo has endured a series of injuries. He left the Lakers in a trade to the New Orleans Pelicans that helped bring Anthony Davis to Los Angeles, then joined the Chicago Bulls and now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LiAngelo is enjoying success as a rap music creator. Okongwu is a center for the Atlanta Hawks. Scott briefly played overseas.
Their legacy was putting Chino Hills on the map during a five-month basketball run that entertained fans at a level no school has reached since.
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