Potential top NBA Draft pick LaMelo Ball may have just become the latest owner in the NBL.
MORE: LaMelo Ball expecting US players to follow his NBL path
After initial reports from the Illawarra Mercury earlier this week and later the Daily Telegraph, Ball and his manager Jermaine Jackson have confirmed to ESPN that they have purchased his former NBL team the Illawarra Hawks. An official announcement from the NBL has not yet been made.
Ball played this past season in the NBL as part of the league's Next Stars program becoming easily the most high-profile American prospect to due so. He cemented his status at the top of the 2020 NBA Draft averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 12 outings for the Hawks before his season came to an abrupt end due to a foot injury.
"We own the team," Jackson told ESPN. "It's a done deal."
"Melo loves the Illawarra fans. He loves that community. They opened their arms to him.
"They made us feel like we are at home. When we started hearing about the issues they were going through, we talked about it and decided, 'Let's own the team.'
"He is going to be locked into his NBA career, but we are going to hire the right people to oversee everything. He wants to create the best basketball program possible for that community there."
UPDATE: The NBL has released a statement regarding the potential ownership takeover of the Hawks.
"The NBL would like to clarify the current situation regarding LaMelo Ball and the Illawarra Hawks.
"The league can confirm LaMelo Ball and his management had discussions about being involved with the club while he was playing in the NBL last season.
"At this point we are continuing to work with current licence holder Simon Stratford on a number of options for what we hope will be a fruitful outcome for Illawarra and the NBL.
"The NBL has final approval on any transfer of licence and no application has been made to date. The NBL has no further comment at this stage."
Statement from the NBL on @IllawarraHawks ownership speculation 📄https://t.co/t1vbvIueIN
— NBL (@NBL) April 2, 2020
Ball is currently back in the U.S. preparing for the NBA Draft, hoping to join his brother Lonzo in the league.
Ball embraced his time in Australia and wanted to still feel connected to the community that supported him in Wollongong. He donated a month of his NBL salary to victims of the bushfires that devastated the country towards the end of last year.
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