Attention-seeking LaVar Ball has succeeded in dominating the headlines as his three sons have become rising basketball stars in Southern California. The Balls have all the makings of a reality show, and they’re actually set to have one air on Facebook.
Ball in the Family, a documentary series that takes viewers behind the scenes with the family, will be made available on Thursday with the first two episodes in Watch, Facebook’s new platform for users to watch episodic content. New episodes will be available on Sundays beginning Sept. 10.
“We wanted to give our fans an unfiltered look into our lives and show them a side of us that isn’t typically seen,” LaVar Ball, who is listed as one of the show’s producers, said in as statement. “We have a big community of fans on Facebook, so we’re excited our series is going to be on Watch. And who better to help us tell our story than Bunim/Murray Productions.”
Bunim/Murray Productions has not only produced top entertainment content, but also has led the way in the reality television genre with hit series such as The Real World, The Simple Life, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
The Balls have been called the Kardashians of basketball. LaVar Ball is the family patriarch whose outspoken antics as an AAU coach have earned him criticism, but he’s a marketing genius having founded the Big Baller Brand sportswear company. Behind the scenes, he takes care of his wife, Tina, who is going through rehab following a stroke.
Lonzo Ball is a rookie guard on the Los Angeles Lakers who’s getting the chance to play near his hometown and family after being selected as the No. 2 overall draft pick. Soft-spoken Lonzo’s standout freshman season at UCLA gave LaVar a platform as the father of one of the top players in college basketball. Lonzo’s girlfriend, Denise Garcia, also appears in Ball in the Family.
LiAngelo Ball is going to play basketball for UCLA. Teenager LaMelo Ball is flashy as a top high school guard and recently helped draw 1.3 million views to a game that LaVar coached and was broadcasted by Ballislife on Facebook Live.
“We are thrilled to work with the Ball family to share their remarkable story at a pivotal moment in their lives,” Gil Goldschein, Chairman and CEO Bunim/Murray Productions, said in a statement. “For fans, it will be a front row seat to how the family deals with the sky-high expectations heaped upon it. For Bunim/Murray, participating in the launch of Facebook’s new Watch platform and contributing to its video ecosystem is exciting because it fits with our long history of pioneering new formats and using our programs to help launch platforms.”