The debut NBA season of former Illawarra Hawks guard LaMelo Ball, drafted at No.3 the Charlotte Hornets, could be over after suffering a broken wrist.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ball, who was a front-runner for the rookie of the year award in the US, will undergo further testing this week, but an MRI confirmed the fracture in his right wrist.
He arrived in Wollongong in 2019 as part of the NBL's Next Stars program and was a shining light on court for the Hawks before making an early exit to the US.
Delivering on his promise, Ball averaged 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.59 steals in steals in the NBA.
In January in a game against Atlanta, Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
Ball had been part of an ownership bid for the Hawks with Wollongong businessman Tory Lavalle, which was overlooked in preference to a group involving now president Dorry Kordahi and former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo.