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An unauthorized sports biography, We Ballin’ What I learned from LaVar Ball about
Basketball, Business, and Bravado centers on the rise in fame and fortune of LaVar Ball, father of
the Ball brothers and founder of the Big Baller Brand. It is told from the perspective of Marissa
Mitchell, former protege and later biographer and publicist for LaVar Ball.
Written from Marissa’s viewpoint, the story begins with a twelve-year-old girl aspiring to
play basketball. Her father seeks out a coach to explore his book-smart daughter’s athletic prowess.
He ended up finding a loud, boisterous local man named LaVar Ball. Mr. Ball put her through a
tough, disciplined training program that honed her body while she often played one-on-one
basketball with his small children. During that time, LaVar confided in her his dreams to make his
three sons NBA players using a similar training method. Although she decided not to play
basketball in college, instead taking the academic route, she and her father kept in contact with
Mr. Ball throughout the years. With her background in English and teaching, she later contacted
Mr. Ball with the offer to write his biography. It was the year the three Ball Brothers took their
public high school basketball team to the California State Championship.
Mr. Ball was very enthusiastic to have Marissa back in the fold of the Ball family. Several
in-person interviews ensued, excerpts of which are included in the manuscript. During those
interviews, Marissa was asked to assume more responsibilities for the growing family business
(Big Baller Brand and Big Baller Media) with the understanding her compensation would be
retroactive, with a solid contract at the end of the year 2017. Marissa eagerly accepted the challenge
and with the biography almost completed and having worked countless hours pro bono (ending
with Lonzo Ball being drafted to the Lakers), Marissa was then fired by LaVar Ball’s new manager.
As she comes to terms with being fired and dealing with the complicated emotions that
resulted from her one-time role model having her dismissed, she began to see LaVar for what he
truly is. She saw firsthand how money, fame, and success can affect people who seem to have your
back. In her story, Marissa provides a chronological look at how the business grew and the Ball
brothers evolved into pro basketball players. She examines the many controversies LaVar Ball
found himself in–from his sons arrest in China to his Twitter war with Donald Trump.
Through it all, this idealistic young woman learned that people are not always the way they
appear on the outside. And more importantly, through challenges and difficult situations, personal
growth can come along when you least expect it. Interestingly enough, after everything she went
through, Marissa learned a lot about herself and more importantly, she ended up with the exact
things she admired in the Ball family: her own family, a growing career, and a renewed sense of
self.
