LaMelo Ball is just 18 years old and is ready to begin his NBA career as a potential top-five pick. But while LaMelo will be playing in the NBA, he will also remain involved in Australia’s National Basketball League.
Ball, who played for the Illawarra Hawks, teamed up with his manager Jermaine Jackson and has reportedly purchased the team, according to ESPN.com.
That’s right, the youngest Ball brother now owns a professional basketball team.
“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.’
“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.”
Ball previously donated one month of his NBL salary to help combat the Australian wildfires.
And while Ball is making his impact felt in the community, he also put in some good work on the court. When he left for Australia, Ball was considered a borderline first-round pick. After averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 12 games, he is now a surefire top-five pick and could be the No. 1 overall selection.
