The National Basketball League (NBL) and LaMelo Ball were a perfect match between the two parties. For Ball, it’s a chance to showcase his talents at a real professional level that isn’t some second-rate European league in Lithuania. For Australia, the NBL gets one of its most marketable players in possibly the league’s history.
NBL’s CEO Jeremy Loeliger shared the same sentiment when the league announced the signing of Ball to the Illawarra Hawks.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have LaMelo coming to join the NBL this season, I think it’s a real win-win situation for everyone involved. It gives him a fantastic opportunity to play against some hardened professionals, which I think will do wonders in terms of getting him ready for his rookie year in the NBA. He’ll get the chance to answer a lot of questions being asked by a lot of people — and everything I’ve seen makes me think he’s going to take a lot of them by surprise.”
Weeks after landing RJ Hampton as the biggest signing in the short history of the “Next Stars” program, Ball one-upped his fellow Class of 2020 classmate. While Hampton is the higher-rated recruit, Ball brings more popularity with him as well as being a first-round draft pick.
Ball and Hampton will bring more attention to the league internationally than ever before. If the two can perform at a high level, it could be a huge boost for both the league and the players.
