This year should have hurt a little extra for LiAngelo Ball. His younger brother LaMelo was just named NBA Rookie of the Year, his older brother Lonzo landed a big contract to be the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls — and he was languishing without an NBA contract. Sure, there’s no doubt he was happy for his brothers, but the sting of being the middle child struggling where your brothers succeed is a lot to deal with.

Now, being thrown a lifeline by the Charlotte Hornets, LiAngelo Ball is making the most of his shot during Las Vegas Summer League.

The story of the Ball family’s path to the NBA might not be the big “three Lakers” dream father La’Var once envisioned when his sons began entering the league, but a touch of hyperbolic success we were once promised may be starting to come to fruition. Lonzo moved past the early jitters of star expectancy to carve out his place as a solid starting guard in the NBA. LaMelo entered the league with equal parts hype and doubt, but he quickly silenced his critics and proved to be a star in the making while turning the Hornets into must-watch team.

Meanwhile, LiAngelo was functionally out of the game. A short G League stint with the Thunder affiliate, then a Summer League invite with the Pistons that never materialized into a contract appeared to end his NBA dreams. The 6’5” guard didn’t boast Lonzo’s passing gift or LaMelo’s creativity, leaving him in the perfect middle child no man’s land.

How LiAngelo Ball ended up on the Hornets’ Summer League team

LiAngelo finally caught a break with the help of his famous younger brother. A bubble-like Hornets practice atmosphere led to each player being allowed to invite one person into training to work out with them. LaMelo picked his older brother. Watching LiAngelo work out and practice, Hornets brass quickly realized the league may have given up too soon on the other member of the Ball family. LiAngelo was offered a Summer League spot, and little was expected of him from fans. On the outside looking in it seemed like nepotism. Keep the star rookie happy entering his second year, let his brother in. No harm, no foul.

However, all that changed on Sunday night when LiAngelo made his debut for the Hornets against the Blazers and exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. To be clear, it’s not like he lit the world on fire and dropped 30 on Portland or anything like that, but LiAngelo proved he could offer a niche Charlotte was lacking.