By RJ Saunders
The inaugural season of LaVar Ball’s Junior Basketball Association just completed its first season, and already it looks like there is blood in the water.
While the Los Angeles Ballers were celebrating their championship and new Cadillacs, Brandon Phillips is still waiting for his final paychecks.
Phillips, 19, was placed on the Los Angeles Ballers team at the beginning of the season, but was cut from the team four games later to make room for LiAngelo Ball.
According to Thomas Duffy of the Cycle, Phillips stated that the JBA has only paid him roughly one-third of what he was promised, failed to reimburse him for his baggage fees and have stopped returning any of his phone calls in regards to his last two paychecks. Phillips also stated that he wasn’t the only player that received this treatment, and can corroborate those claims:
Never said anything about Lavar ball, he wasn’t traveling with us. The league has been great to a lot of kids. But in my case not so much and i don’t know what players you’ve talked to but i can provide screenshots of players on my team who also got cut backing up my statements.
— Brandon Phillips (@itsbphilly) August 16, 2018
Yes but i was cut after 4 games and it has been over a month Alan and other JBA representatives ive reached out to have stopped texting emailing and calling me back
— Brandon Phillips (@itsbphilly) August 16, 2018
JBA players were supposed to receive a base salary of $3,000 per month and a 60 percent return on their jersey sales.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the 6-foot-6 guard was held out of his senior season at Newport Harbor High School due to grades. At the time he made the decision to try out for the JBA, Phillips was also working out with Orange Coast College, a community college based in Costa Mesa, California. Because the JBA is a professional league, Phillips gave up his college eligibility..for four games, 11 points and six rebounds.
Phillips gave up his college eligibility to go to a league that was supposed to be for players that wanted to forgo college to get paid for playing the sport they love. Although cutting Phillips may have not been in the plans, this is a huge stain on LaVar as well as his league for not doing right by their contract.
Empty arenas are now not the only problem LaVar had on his hands this season, but he also left a former player with empty pockets.
