When Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo went 35-0

[Ball brothers, from D1]

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LeVAR BALL cheers his three sons during a game between Chino Hills and Immanuel High on March 12, 2016. The team went undefeated. LaMELO BALL, above, and brother Lonzo, right, in action against Foothills Christian a decade ago. Both went on to play in the NBA.

(Photographs by LOUIS BIMCO Los Angeles Times)

Three of the starters would become NBA first-round draft picks — Lonzo, LaMelo and Onyeka Okongwu.

Lonzo became a Laker. LaMelo grew to be the tallest Ball brother at 6 feet 7 and maybe the best. LiAngelo became a rapper. Eli Scott, the fifth starter, became a star at Loyola Marymount. Okongwu went to USC before becoming an Atlanta Hawks first-round pick.

"I felt that whole year we were going against teams that wanted to give us their best shot," Baik said. "It was truly a gauntlet. When I look back, it’s remarkable how many games we could have lost. If we were 34-1, we would have considered that season a loss."

Eighteen times, Chino Hills scored 100 or more points, starting with 131 points in an opening win over San Bernardino. There were two wins over Foothills Christian, led by future first-round draft pick TJ Leaf. There was an 83-82 win over national power Montverde Academy at the City of Palms tournament in Florida. There was a four-point win over Bishop Montgomery in a game during which Lonzo was injured and others were sick. This team inflicted the worst defeat ever for Mater Dei and legendary coach Gary Mc Knight, 102-54, in the Southern Section playoffs.