Yahoo Sports Report: LaMelo Ball, manager trying to buy Australian basketball team he played for
LaMelo Ball is 18 years old and hasn’t yet been drafted into the NBA.
But he’s already preparing to be the owner of a professional sports team.
That’s according to ESPN, which reported on Thursday that Ball bought the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League along with his manager Jermaine Jackson.
“We own the team,” Jackson told ESPN. "It's a done deal.”
NBL: No, it’s not a done deal
The National Basketball League pushed back on those reports on Friday, saying that Ball does not yet own the team and has not filed an application to do so.
“At this point we are continuing to work with current license holder Simon Stratford on a number of options for what we hope will be a fruitful outcome for Illawarra and the NBL,” the league said in a statement, via the Associated Press.
“The NBL has final approval on any transfer of license and no application has been made to date.”
Ball played for Hawks last season
Ball played for the Hawks last year as he opted against playing college basketball in preparation for the NBA. Ball is expected to be a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA draft and a contender for the No. 1 spot.
It’s not clear what percentage of the team Ball bought or what the selling price was.
Financial troubles for Hawks
The Hawks were in dire financial straights under the previous ownership of Simon Stratford and had recently furloughed staff and coaches as the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the toll.
The small-market Hawks were one of the original NBL franchises founded in 1979. Ball’s presence on the team last year increased their international imprint, but didn’t translate to a significant draw for local fans or revenue, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The NBL released a statement on Tuesday addressing the financial viability of the Hawks.
“We are in ongoing discussions with the owners of the Hawks and the Australian Basketball Players’ Association (ABPA) and working together with them in what are challenging times for all sport and business right now,” the statement read.
It appears that Ball and Jackson provided the answer the Hawks needed.
“Melo loves the Illawarra fans,” Jackson told ESPN. “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.’”
Ball, a 6-8 point guard, averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 37 percent from the field in 12 games with the Hawks last season.
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