LaVar Ball has been one of the most vocal parents in NBA history although despite all of the antics, people still soak up every single word he says. He is a ratings machine and his sons are box office when it comes to basketball. Recently, his youngest son LaMelo announced that he would be purchasing the NBL team he played for this season, the Illawarra Hawks. Ball is expected to go high in the NBA draft this summer which means he will have plenty of funds to secure such a move.

TMZ caught up with LaVar today where they asked him about LaMelo’s latest acquisition. As the Ball family patriarch explained, LaMelo is looking to give young players an opportunity. Not to mention, the team is going to be sponsored by the infamous Big Baller Brand.

LaMelo Ball is one of the biggest names heading into the NBA draft and many predict he could be taken within the first three picks. Instead of going the college route, Ball decided to play in Australia for the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. While his season may have ended early due to an injury, he still fell in love with the league and the country he got to call home. According to ESPN, Ball, and his manager Jermaine Jackson have just finalized a deal to buy the team,

Yes, that’s right, LaMelo Ball owns his very own NBL team. As Jackson explains, they made the decision after being told that the Hawks had some financial issues. Ball wants to see the team thrive and plans to implement the best employees possible to create a program that makes the fans in the city proud.

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“Melo loves the Illawarra fans,” Jackson said. “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.”

This is a huge move considering Ball has yet to play a single game in the NBA. When you already own a team at such a young age, it’s proof that you have an entrepreneurial spirit and it will be interesting to see what he does with his newfound purchase.

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This season hasn’t been kind to the New York Knicks although I could write that pretty well any given year and it would still ring true. Regardless, the Knicks are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference and have one of the worst records in the entire league. As we approach the end of the season, it’s clear that the Knicks will most likely be a lottery pick. If this is the case, they will have an opportunity to get a top 5 pick who could change the fortunes of the franchise.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are currently looking to prioritize what kind of player they want. For now, a scoring point guard is on the top of their list. If you’ve been following NCAA and NBL basketball this year, you would know that LaMelo Ball fits that description almost to the T. 

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Ball averaged 17 points per game with the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. He was also able to average 7.5 assists and 7 rebounds. At times, Ball came through with impressive triple-doubles and was a fan favorite in the league. While Ball isn’t mentioned by name, he is one of the top scoring point guards out there which means it would behoove the Knicks to make a serious play for him.

With this in mind, who do you think the Knicks should draft?

For those of you who aren’t aware of what’s been going on Down Under, Australia has been devastated by a raging bushfire for a month. Some reports state that nearly 500,000 wildlife creatures have perished in the blaze, along with 17 people, to date. Images have circulated showing injured, displaced, and deceased animals as well as groups of people who have sought safety on the shores of beaches. Certain areas of Australia have declared a state of emergency.

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LaMelo Ball, a point guard for Australia’s Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League, is one of a handful of athletes who have pledged to help those affected by the tragedy. “It’s sad to see what is happening on the south coast of Australia,” LaMelo said in a statement. The baller has declared that he would give one month’s salary to those in need, however, a dollar amount wasn’t specified. “People have lost their homes and everything they own. My parents taught me to help out wherever I can, so this is my way of helping out.”

The Hawks team as a collective unit are joining together to aid in charitable efforts, and the National Basketball League’s commissioner shared that he was excited to see players come together for the greater good. “I want to acknowledge the contribution made by a number of NBL clubs already to support those affected by the terrible bushfires across Australia,” Jeremy Loeliger said. “As a leading sporting code, we have an obligation to support those communities affected and we will announce some further initiatives shortly.”

Check out a few photos from Australia’s bushfire below.

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