LaMelo will be back in the next couple of months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's LaMelo the racehorse I mean, owned by the businessman behind the Illawarra Hawks bid, Tory Lavalle.
A two-year-old colt is a thoroughbred equivalent of a precocious teenager like LaMelo Ball, the would-be Hawks partner, who we saw throwing triple-doubles before departing prematurely in January.
And while Ball is still hoping to become the No.1 NBA draft pick whenever the US COVID-19 curve finally flattens, LaMelo, the horse named after him has struggled to make an impact in four career runs.
Still, like the Hawks ownership saga, hope remains for the future.
The timing of LaMelo's return on track could be a lovely bit of symbolism, amid the stalemate which has developed over the NBL club.
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger this week moved to allay fears about the Hawks going into liquidation, after reporting elsewhere which was accurate, but lacking in context.
The Mercury had stated for some time the license was with the NBL when the Hawks moved into voluntary administration, as Simon Stratford finally handed in the keys.
The debt was too great, the players and staff some three-quarters of a million dollars out of pocket - entitlements which have been guaranteed by the NBL - as the administrator recommended the company be liquidated.
These were all necessary legal decisions, but the stage was already set for the Hawks to live to fight another day.
Some seven weeks ago, the Mercury exclusively wrote LaMelo Ball, through manager Jermaine Jackson, was close to taking over the Hawks ownership.
It was a story which led to ESPN quoting Jackson as saying it was a "done deal".
Except the Stratford-era voluntary administration and subsequent liquidation process, rather than any lack of desire on either side, delayed the whole process.
Since, the NBL has maintained there were a number of interested parties in taking over the club, but the Mercury understands that unless something extraordinary happens, the Ball-Lavalle deal is the only viable option remaining.
So now, like LaMelo's four-legged namesake, success may yet arrive at the second preparation.
Lavalle owns several racehorses, including Nindamos - also trained by Brett Lazzarini - who lumped 61.5 kilograms to win a Benchmark 70 at Kembla Grange on Tuesday.
It was Lazzarini's first winner since taking over Mick Tubman's horses, as well as being entrusted by Lavalle as an owner.
The racing terminology may be lost on some basketball fans, as NBL stats are on equine enthusiasts, but it's a small measure of Lavalle's taste for success.
He's made a booming business out of Multi Civil and Rail and has taken the Wolves from the same sporting wasteland as the Hawks face now, to the promised land, in the form of a NSW National Premier League title.
And then the NBL, fluffing their lines as heroes of the situation, made a power play.
The NBL let Stratford wither on the vine, which led to the liquidation situation, and then demanded more financially from Lavalle to secure the Hawks future, also buying themselves more time looking for other bids.
But time has run out, as players and staff need to know their futures, let alone the demanding task of rebuilding a successful club.
Lavalle, who spoke to the Mercury colleague Mitch Jennings this week, was prepared to walk away.
"It is what it is. If they feel our submission's not as desirable as some other bids then that's the way it is," he said. "It's their decision, I'll accept that, we'll move forward. I'll still wish the best for Hawks and the league."
However, Game On understands the Ball family and Jackson remain excited and driving the process as Lavalle negotiates with the NBL in Australia.
Ball family patriarch LaVar told American press LaMelo and Jackson understood the gravity of the situation.
"One of the things I told my boys is ownership is a big thing. We are just waiting to see what they (NBL) say."
