As social media and basketball forums went into meltdown over future NBA star and some time reality television personality LaMelo Ball signing with the Illawarra Hawks, the small-market battlers of the NBL quietly made another huge player deal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While you were sleeping, Ball went on US ESPN show The Jump to announce, in full LeBron James style, he was taking his talents to the Hawks, which the host had to qualify was in Australia, for those Americans reaching for the nearest atlas.
As a result, the Illawarra Hawks Instagram account exploded, at least doubling to more than 20,000 in the space of a few hours as a result of the LaMelo revelation.
To put it in perspective, LaMelo Ball has 4.5 million - million! - Instagram followers, which is pretty impressive for a teenager yet to even make the NBA.
Wollongong's population is only 300,000.
Then, at 7.47am Australian eastern time, Aaron Brooks, a 10-year NBA veteran quietly declared he too would be joining the Illawarra Hawks.
In any other year, any other month, any other week, any other day, any other moment in time, this would be a very big deal.
And it is a very big deal.
A point guard, Brooks was named the NBA's most improved player in 2010 and has been on the roster at Houston Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, Chicago, Indiana and Minnesota, after first being drafted by the Rockets with pick 26 in 2007.
"Preparations about to meet Opportunity. They say, "absents (sic) makes the heart grow fonder". After a year off, the battery is fully charged!!! And the treads are good... @illawarrahawks Lets get it!! #AussieAussieAussieOiOiOi" he posted on Instagram.
In contrast it received 166 likes and just four retweets on Twitter.
LaMelo Ball's fan page alone gained 2.5 thousand retweets and 9.6 thousand likes, such is the scope of his family's popularity.
For those not across the Ball family's popularity, it's akin to the Kardashians of basketball.
Brother Lonzo has just been used as trade bait by the LA Lakers, to the ire of father Lavar.
In 2017, Lavar also got into an argument with US president Donald Trump after LiAngelo was sent home accused of stealing sunglasses while on a playing tour with UCLA in China.
The spat came about over who should be thanked for resolving the drama, with Lavar sending some of the family's Big Baller Brand shoes to Trump "so he can calm down a little bit".
Then last year, while Lonzo was in the NBA, the other two boys and Lavar lobbed in Lithuania, full reality television show along for the ride.
And now LaMelo has the chance to cut his own path to the NBA from our own backyard, hoping to earn the No.1 draft spot next year.
Intriguingly, Matt Flinn now has Ball, Brooks, Daniel Grida, Emmett Naar, Angus Glover and Sunday Dech on the books as guards, with Boomers call-up Todd Blanchfield presumably now permanently a small forward.
Even before arriving in Australia, this is the new series of the Ball In The Family reality show - and we're all just extras in it.
While you're with us the Illawarra Mercury is offering sport readers 20 percent off an annual digital subscription. Sign up to stay up to date with all the local sports you love for only $3.00 a week. Terms and conditions apply.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
