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Ball, seen as a potential number one pick in
the 2020 NBA draft, had an injury-blighted stint at the
Wollongong-based Hawks last year but impressed so much in his 12
games that he won the NBL's rookie-of-the-year award for the
2019/20 season.
Ball's manager Jermaine Jackson told ESPN on Thursday that he
and the player had bought the team, which said earlier this week
it was looking at different ownership models.
"He loves that community. They opened their arms to him. They
made us feel like we are at home," Jackson said.
"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."
However, the NBL said no deal had been completed, though it
confirmed 18-year-old Ball and his management had expressed
interest in having long-term involvement with the team last
year.
"At this point we are continuing to work with current licence
holder Simon Stratford on a number of options for what we hope
will be a fruitful outcome for Illawarra and the NBL," the
league said in a statement.
Hawks owner Stratford appealed for "committed investors" earlier
this week to secure the team's future in the coastal city south
of Sydney.
The Hawks finished bottom of the nine-team NBL in the 2019/20
season, which was halted midway through the title-deciding
playoffs series due to the coronavirus.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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