South East Melbourne Phoenix to treat LaMelo Ball like any other Illawarra Hawks player
He’s perhaps the most-hyped player in NBL history, but young Illawarra Hawks prodigy LaMelo Ball can expect no favours from a South East Melbourne Phoenix side keen to keep its unblemished record intact.
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LaMelo Ball Fever has gripped the NBL but South East Melbourne Phoenix will not be rolling out a red carpet for the teenage 2020 NBA Draft sensation.
The 201cm Ball’s decision to bypass college basketball in America for the NBL’s Next Stars program has put the domestic league on the global radar.
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As far Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell is concerned, the Round 3 blockbuster, on track to get close to a sellout at Melbourne Arena, is another chance to earn a win.
“I only really want to be on ESPN if they talking about us winning, or maybe they’re saying LaMelo Ball had a stinker,” Mitchell said.
“No, LaMelo is a good kid, I hear wonderful things from the people at Illawarra, I wish all the best for him, but we’re not here to be on his highlights reel, that’s for sure.”
Ball’s first official outing in Illawarra Hawks colours was the most watched game in NBL history — with one million American viewers on Facebook alone.
The Hawks’ Instagram following has surged from 8000 to 62,000 since the Ball announcement.
The NBL’s ‘LaMelo era’ has boosted TV ratings and seen league officials host plane loads of journalists from ESPN, Bleacher Report, The Ringer and Ball in The Family (Facebook reality show).
Mitchell lives and breathes basketball and family, not Instagram likes and trends, but the Phoenix mentor appreciates Ball’s impact on existing and emerging NBL fans.
“He brings an excitement to the youth who see a young icon of the game,” Mitchell said.
“It’s a great chance for young South East Melbourne fans to catch a glimpse of him while they can.”
The Phoenix have not put any extra time into Ball than stopping any other Hawks playmakers, including ex-NBA guard Aaron Brooks and sharpshooter Todd Blanchfield.
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“Every week, we go up against some pretty reasonable players and some are a lot better than he (Ball) is at this point in time,” Mitchell said.
“He’s just one of many Hawks that will go out and hurt us.”
But Mitchell conceded some of the experienced, battle-hardened stars on his team would be keen to deflate Ball.
“Anyone that’s young is always going to have a little bit of a target on them,” Mitchell warned.
“There would be some grizzled veterans floating around our team I think that would probably be a bit of ‘what’s up with this upstart’.
“I think when you get competitive people in a building and you’re playing a physical sport that there’s always a chance for some people that want to throw down the gauntlet to a young fella.”