LiAngelo Ball might not have much of an NBA career like his other brothers, but he making waves this week after his announcement that he has a child coming soon.
The aspiring NBA player and former Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood star Nikki Mudarris are expecting their first baby together this summer.
“We’re both so excited about becoming parents, we spoke about having a life and kids when we first met, our goals, dreams, life we wanted & then it really happened,” the couple tells PEOPLE.
“We can’t wait to meet our baby and begin this new chapter together,” they add. “It’s super exciting for us both being first-time parents and getting to experience everything together.”
Fans are in disbelief as they took to Twitter to react:
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Ball, who plays for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, says he was in Charlotte, North Carolina when he first learned the news.
Nikki went on to note, “The news was super exciting for everyone in my family, however, everyone was super shocked and I think they’re still shocked even though my belly is huge!” The pregnant star then explained, “Overall, everyone cannot wait for the baby to come. They’re super happy for me, I found love with an amazing man and God blessed me with my baby, everything I really wanted is truly happening.”
Nikki and LiAngelo said they know the sex of their unborn baby, but they decided to keep it private for now. As for names, “ironically we picked our kid(s) names three months before I got pregnant so when we found out it was pretty easy what we were gonna name the baby.”
Ball is the younger brother of Lonzo Ball and the older brother of LaMelo. He gained significant media attention when he, along with two other UCLA players, was arrested for shoplifting in China in 2017. The incident landed him in some hot water and he decided to leave the Bruins to pursue a professional career overseas.
In 2018, he was signed by the Lithuanian professional basketball club Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas where he played for a few months before his contract was terminated due to an injury. Despite this setback, he was later signed by the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association, a league founded by his father LaVar Ball.
The Charlotte Hornets signed LiAngelo Ball to a one-year deal. Ball appeared in 28 games for the Hornets’ G League affiliate during the 2021-22 season, averaging 4.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest.
