The National Basketball League in Australia has announced that a new ownership group is assuming control of the Illawarra Hawks, one of the league’s nine teams. The group includes former Raptors and Sixers executive Bryan Colangelo, who will take on an advisory role with the Australian club, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski explains, Colangelo won’t have a role in making basketball decisions as a president or general manager in Illawarra. However, he’ll assist the franchise “in governance and strategy.”
Although Colangelo recently interviewed for the Bulls’ head of basketball operations position, his involvement in the purchase of the NBL’s Hawks represents his first foray back into the sport since his unceremonious exit from the 76ers in 2018.
Colangelo’s time in Philadelphia came to an end when he resigned after just two years following allegations that he was using burner Twitter accounts to disparage 76ers players and to disclose private information about them. Subsequent reporting suggested that Colangelo’s wife was responsible for creating some or all of those accounts and publishing that sensitive info.
A previous report had indicated that LaMelo Ball would be part of a group purchasing the Hawks, but that deal didn’t materialize, despite some serious negotiations. Ball, a projected top-10 pick in the 2020 draft, played for Illawarra this past season, and the team’s press release mentioned him multiple times.
“The decision in choosing the right owners was not an easy one and I want to acknowledge and thank all those who were part of the thorough process undertaken,” NBL owner and chairman Larry Kestelman said in a statement. “I would like, in particular, to thank LaMelo Ball and his organization for the support and interest shown in wanting to achieve the best outcome for the team that has helped him have a chance at being the number one NBA Draft pick.
“We hope we can explore future opportunities with LaMelo and wish him all the best for the NBA Draft in October and his ambition to be the best ever player in the game.”
They have a good P.R team, that’s in no doubt. All press is good press right?
it is possible to have bad press, but it is worse to be left out of the topic list people care about. Even if the press has been bad, it’s better to be relevant so that you can still turn it around.
The more accurate way to relieve someone about bad press is to say, “at least they are still talking about you.” It’s a logical jump then to say bad press is good.
what a mistake. bc is a dummy.
The way the NBL/Australia was able to cut ties to the players for the pandemic may have highlighted the profitability of franchises to existing monied investors and squeezed out Lamelo. Totally guessing here.
I’m just wondering if the league turned a page lately in major-ness, that there’s now a scramble for franchises. Or… Lamelo got that good press a while back and was never a factor. At the time, it was said that Illawarra was struggling to survive as a business.