LiAngelo Ball Never Reached the NBA. His Song Has Taken It by Storm

LiAngelo Ball is the one Ball brother who has never played in the NBA. But he has infiltrated sports in a way his brothers never have.

On Jan. 3, Ball, the middle brother between Bulls guard Lonzo and Hornets star LaMelo, dropped the rap song “Tweaker” through his artist name, G3 GELO. The song has turned into a viral phenomenon and was No. 8 on Spotify’s U.S. Top 50 playlist as of Jan. 8, ahead of pop hits like “Birds of a Feather” and “APT.” 

The song has become a staple across locker rooms over the last week. The NFL’s Lions blasted “Tweaker” in their locker room following their win over the Vikings on Sunday Night Football. A player can even be heard shouting “put that Gelo on!” immediately after Dan Campbell’s postgame speech and Jared Goff’s closing huddle in the locker room.

Angel Reese posted a video asking players in Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league launching Jan. 17, to finish the famous lyric of the song: “I might swerve bend the corner, woah.” WNBA All-Stars Chelsea Gray and Dearica Hamby were among those in the video.

Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina’s women’s team, also posted a video dancing to the song at the Gamecocks’ practice facility and gave a shout-out to Ball. “You got something there, Gelo,” Staley said.

Even the Inside the NBA crew acknowledged the song Tuesday. Shaquille O’Neal danced to the track, while Kenny Smith said he “never heard a song take off that fast.”

Social media accounts have even gotten in on the fun, with the NBA’s Nets and Bulls using the song’s famous line. Even non-sports accounts have referenced the song, like DoorDash and Red Lobster.

And of course, Lonzo and LaMelo, who were both top three NBA draft picks, brought the song over to their locker rooms in Chicago and Charlotte, respectively.

LiAngelo, 26, is not signed with a professional team at the moment. He said in November on Reese’s podcast Unapologetically Angel that he wants to play in the G League, though he has received some offers to play overseas. He played 19 games for the Greensboro Swarm, the G League affiliate of the Hornets, between 2021 and 2023. His overseas stints include time in Lithuania and Mexico.