While LaMelo Ball has seen much success in the National Basketball Leauge, his Illawarra Hawks side has struggled from day one. Illawarra has spent much of the season at the bottom of the league standings even when the team had a healthy Aaron Brooks.
Once Brooks suffered a season-ending injury, the Hawks spent weeks searching for a replacement import player. Surprisingly, little speculation arose of pairing LaMelo with older brother LiAngelo. However, that doesn’t mean LaVar wasn’t trying just that behind the scenes.
In a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, LaVar revealed that he pushed to have the Hawks ink LiAngelo to a deal to team up with LaMelo.
“I said, if you wanna start winning, get Gelo. That’s what I said. Other people were like, ah, don’t mess up what Melo’s got going on over there. I said that would be the best thing, because Gelo would be the perfect fit. You’ve got your brother playing with you.
“Them two together ain’t gonna lose… I don’t think (the Hawks) reacted the way that they should have; it would’ve been the best thing. You know how many people would’ve come to see the Ball boys play together? It was a win-win for everybody, but I don’t think other guys were pushing it that way.
Surprisingly, LaVar also was a bit rational about the situation, though he followed it with some more typical his typical brashness. While LaVar admitted that signing two Ball brothers would make it look like the family had a heavy hand in the team’s decisions, he also didn’t seem to mind if that was the case.
“They would probably think it looks like Big Baller is bullyish now, he’s got his other son over here. Now, there’s another thing to say, wow, Melo only passes to his brother; that co uld be the thing. There’s so many things that can go wrong on the outside, but you would win. Now, it’s just the Melo and LiAngelo show.”
LiAngelo has hardly been in the national spotlight in the recent year. After opting for surgery on his ankle in the spring, he has spent the summer and fall months rehabbing. LaVar did note in the interview that LiAngelo is fully healthy and able to play once again. He entered the G League pool last year prior to his surgery but no team signed him then and it’s hard to see a team signing him a year later with LiAngelo having not played any competitive basketball.
