LiAngelo Ball’s musical abilities have gained significant attention in the NBA this month. The middle sibling among basketball stars Lonzo and LaMelo Ball has reportedly capitalized on this buzz by securing a substantial recording contract.

According to an ESPN report on Monday, LiAngelo Ball, who is 26 years old, has closed a deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group valued at up to $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed in the agreement. He will also maintain full ownership of his music and establish his own record label.

His song, ‘Tweaker,’ went viral after its launch on January 3, 2023, gaining popularity across TikTok and Instagram, and making its way to various arenas and locker rooms nationwide. Chart Data reports that ‘Tweaker’ sold 94,000 units in its first week in the U.S., and by Monday, the song’s video had nearly 8 million views on YouTube.

Last week, Ball was announced as a performer at Rolling Loud in Inglewood, California, claiming a spot in what is known as the world’s largest hip-hop festival. He is set to perform on Saturday, March 15.

LiAngelo performs under the names ‘Gelo’ or ‘G3,’ and his elder brother Lonzo Ball, who plays for the Chicago Bulls, has already proclaimed 2025 as the “year of G.” Here’s additional information about LiAngelo Ball and his rising music career:

What is LiAngelo Ball’s song?

LiAngelo Ball played only two games professionally with Astros de Jalisco in Mexico earlier this year before leaving due to injury. Since then, he seems to have shifted his focus toward music. His track, ‘Tweaker,’ released on January 3 through the WorldstarHipHop YouTube channel, already had close to 8 million views by Monday afternoon.

Respected hip-hop figures and musicians like Meek Mill, T-Pain, and Lil Yachty, along with sports personalities such as Dawn Staley, Donovan Mitchell, and Damian Lillard, have all provided positive feedback about the song through interviews or social media. Critics have noted that ‘Tweaker’ carries a sound reminiscent of early 2000s rap.

Within days, Ball’s infectious chorus “I might swerve, bend the corner, whoah-oh-oh” became a popular choice in arenas for several teams.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, played ‘Tweaker’ over the public address system at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse after a victory against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets on January 5. The Detroit Lions also celebrated their win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 by playing ‘Tweaker’ in their locker room at Ford Field.

LiAngelo Ball’s basketball journey

LiAngelo Ball, the middle child among Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, was expected to join UCLA after graduating from Chino Hills High School in 2017. However, he and two fellow teammates were arrested for allegedly attempting to steal sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou, China, just before the Bruins’ overseas opener against Georgia Tech. As a result, Ball was indefinitely suspended and ultimately departed from the program without ever participating in a regular season game at UCLA.

Before the 2018 NBA draft, Ball played for Prenai in the Lithuanian Basketball League alongside his younger brother LaMelo. During that season, LiAngelo posted averages of 12.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 41.5% from three-point range. He subsequently went undrafted in the NBA.

LiAngelo later joined the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm, an affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, where he played in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Throughout 31 games in the G League, he averaged 4.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and played 13.1 minutes per game. He signed training camp contracts with the Detroit Pistons in 2020, the Hornets in 2021, and again in 2022 but did not make any regular season rosters.