Opinion
Bugger, here we go again. Financial stress is a situation us Hawks fans have found ourselves in all too many times.
We have had past saviours from telecommunications entrepreneurs to Indian mining magnates but never an 18-year-old reality TV star who can happen to ball, mind the pun.
Yet the real reality is in how once and for all the Hawks can put their financial woes to bed and continue their newfound fame if LaMelo Ball takes over, which I can only hope as previous owners have not had anywhere near the amount of reach the Ball dynasty has.
Ball’s Instagram account alone has over five million followers, with the entire Ball family reaching almost 16 million combined.
It’s how the Illawarra Hawks went from 8000 followers to now over 65,000 in less than a year.
Imagine the club’s brand and following after three or four years of a Ball ownership. Envision the endless amounts of opportunity it could bring.
(Cassy Athena/Getty Images)
From NBA player-scouting connections, tourism or even the return onto the court for the man himself, this is where the Hawks could really capitalise in our ever-increasing globalised world.
For the first time in our foundational club’s history, we have a potential number one NBA draft pick and former player saying let me run the show.
But of course, there are some concerns.
The reality of a Ball ownership would probably be something towards not being too involved in management and decision making and more towards the image and branding of the club, which would be a first for a club owner.
I just can’t see an 18-year-old giving online presentations about the direction of the club after a game at Madison Square Garden.
Then there are the concerns Hawks legend Glen Saville noted just last month, with the way in which Ball exited the club without telling a soul, which left a sour taste in the mouths of teammates, employees and fans.
I myself fall into the latter of those categories. I question his level of commitment and maturity.
Maybe it wasn’t his decision and rather it was his management, or someone made a huge mistake.
With ownership comes friendship, and when a journey comes to an end you must at the very least say goodbye to those who have impacted your journey along the way.
But at the end of it all, it’s just too grand a deal to pass up.
We need to make this a done deal as soon as possible and roll the dice on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
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