NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball Buys Illawarra Hawks, Right People Will Handle The Team

Blokes, meet your new boss and he happens to be a former star player on this team.

It’s LaMelo Ball.

Reports have surfaced that the 18-year old NBA prospect has completed the purchase of Illawarra Hawks, the Australian team that he played for in the National Basketball League in Australia.

Jonathan Givony of ESPN wrote that LaMelo’s manager Jermaine Jackson declared that the purchase for the former Wollongong-based team was already made, though the details about the purchase – the amount in particular – hasn’t been disclosed yet.

“We own the team," Jackson, a former NBA journeyman guard, said. "It's a done deal."

The youngest of the Ball brothers decided to fly to Australia and play for the Hawks to prepare himself for the upcoming NBA Draft but more on the preparation, Jackson revealed that LaMelo fell in love with the city. "He loves that community. They opened their arms to him,” shared Jackson.

The Australian league, however, has not confirmed the purchase but took a stand for having the final word of a license transfer if the deal has been made.

“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.'

Jackson also said that they will be looking for the right personnel to handle the team as LaMelo will be focused on making a mark in the NBA, where his oldest brother Lonzo also plays, once he gets drafted. “We are going to hire the right people to oversee everything. He wants to create the best basketball program possible for that community there."

"That's how he was raised by his family. People have a perception of his father, but he has a heart of gold and it trickles down to his kids,” said Jackson of his prized client, who also revealed that bringing the entire family in Australia for a tour and conducting basketball camps are just a few of their plans.

Jackson also bared that LaMelo owning the team will attract young players to be part of the team and will use that foundation to build a strong team and inspiring the younger generation of players. “Melo wants kids to think big, especially in times like this," he said.

LaMelo already did his share of helping the community as a player when he donated his month-worth salary as a relief for the victims of the bushfire. He also set a league record for being the youngest player to record a triple-double in a game.