LaMelo Ball To Take Australian Gap Year

Highschool NBA prospect LaMelo Ball is opting to play professionally overseas rather than waiting to join this years’ draft.

LaMelo Ball (17), is on his way to New South Wales, Australia, to play in the National Basketball League. He will play for the Illawarra Hawks for the 2019 – 2020 NBL season. Following that, he will vie for a 2020 NBA Draft berth.

LaMelo Ball is the second highschooler to join the Australian NBL this year. He follows RJ Hampton of Little Elm, High in Texas. Hampton will spend the season playing for the New Zealand Breakers.

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Ball believes that playing in Australia for a year will help him to be the top pick in next year’s draft.

“My agents did a ton of research on the options I had to play this coming season, and Australia really made sense for me,” Ball said.

“They have a really strong league, with excellent coaches and great players, including former and future NBA players, and great strength and conditioning programs.

“My goal is to be the top pick in next year’s draft, and I feel they can help me reach that goal. Also, the timing of the season works well with the timing of next year’s draft.”

Ball and Hampton were lured to the NBL via the league’s Next Stars program. The program targets NBA draft prospects and pays them a $68,400 salary. As well as that, the players are provided accommodation and transport for the year.

The NBL season runs from October until March.

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Ball has already experienced playing abroad, when he followed his brother LiAngelo to Lithuania at the age of 16.

“I am really looking forward to playing professionally this season, so that I can focus all of my time and energy on basketball,” Ball said.

“My experience in Lithuania will help make the adjustment easier. Playing overseas professionally at just 16 years old put me in a place where I had to figure things out quickly, and I think that experience will make a huge difference for me in Australia.”