US teen LaMelo Ball makes NBL history

US phenomenon LaMelo Ball has already sent a tsunami rolling through Australia, bringing a chunk of his 5 million followers Down Under.

LaMelo Ball’s stint in the NBL is paying off dividends for all involved after last week’s game for the Illawarra Hawks against the Brisbane Bullets became the most watched match in the competition’s history.

The USA superstar, who has amassed a giant 4.9 million following on Instagram, pulled an astonishing 1 million viewers to Sunday’s clash. Despite the southerners being pipped 90-81, the likely top five NBA draft pick showed out in Wollongong, delighting Down Under with flashy moves on his way to bagging 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

“There was a million people tuned into a preseason game!” former Boomers star Shane Heal said on Wednesday.

Heal said there was a lot to like about the 18-year-old guard, but there are still glaring chinks in the import’s armour after the weekend’s showcase.

“He’s predicted to be in the top five, I’m not thinking he’ll be the top pick. He had a decent game but he’s still got a lot of things to work on, as you can imagine,” he said.

“His shot is terrible — all over the place. (He shot) 0/5 from three. But he’s a real talent. He’s really long, he’s six foot six and still only 18. He’s not good from long range but he’s great off the dribble.”

The massive viewership from Sunday’s game impressed NBL owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman, who applauded the result.

“These are huge numbers by any measure and confirm the NBL’s status as a global entertainment product,” he said in a press release.

“They also reinforce our position as the best basketball league in the world outside of the NBA during what is a very exciting time for the sport in Australia and New Zealand.

“There is obviously a lot of interest in LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton ahead of next year’s NBA draft but also the NBL and basketball here more broadly.

“Our games are being broadcast to a potential reach 130 million people across the world including the U.S., Europe and Asia but our numbers are also exploding across all social media platforms.”

Lamelo Ball has made waves, but Shane Heal thinks he’s still an unfinished project.

The Hawks’ ex-NBA veteran guard Aaron Brooks supplied most of his team’s scoring thrust with a game-high 24 points against a well-drilled Bullets outfit. Rookie Hawks coach Matt Flinn believed his new-look team showed plenty to be encouraged by.

“I feel like tonight was just one of those nights. We shot 16 per cent from three; 64 per cent from the free throw line. I don’t think that’s going to happen again,” said Flinn.

“We’re all getting to understand each other, understand when we need to get a good bucket and when we need to run.

“It bodes well for where we’re going. We’re happy with where we’re at, we have got a great bunch of guys and we’re really together. We just need to fix up a few little things, execution-wise.

LaMelo is from a long line of shop-stoppers.

“Both Aaron and LaMelo are enormous talents. It’s a matter of us playing with two different tempos. Those two guys are natural scorers — we certainly have a lot of belief in them.”

Teamwork was the key for a red-hot Brisbane side, with Nathan Sobey (17), Lamar Patterson (25) and Matt Hodgson (14) all putting up big numbers. “We shared the ball, we had 21 assists and everyone was engaged,” said Brisbane coach Andre Lemanis.

“We stayed unified when things went against us, and there was no splintering in the group”.

A quick 12-0 run to open the third quarter by Brisbane proved decisive with the Hawks not able to claw their way back into the game.