Tag: Jermaine Jackson

Saints spent big to sign undrafted Idaho returns ace Jermaine Jackson

The Saints spent big to sign undrafted Idaho returns ace Jermaine Jackson. With kick returns changing, it’s worth investing in multiple options:

NFL teams tell you how they value players by their actions, and most importantly how they spend their money. With the 2024 NFL draft behind us the New Orleans Saints entered a fierce bidding war with other teams for the rookies whose names were not called during the draft. And one of their first pickups was a costly one: Idaho Vandals wide receiver/return man Jermaine Jackson.

Jackson is listed at 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds so he’s cut from the same cloth as other Saints returns specialists like Rashid Shaheed and Deonte Harty. While he received just a $10,000 signing bonus to come to New Orleans, Jackson is also getting $150,000 of his base salary guaranteed, per KTIK 95.3 FM’s John Mallory. That’s significant. For context, Shaheed was guaranteed $222,000 when he signed with the Saints out of Weber State.

So why is he so special? There aren’t many players in college football with 600-plus return yards on both punts (604) and kickoffs (666), as well as four return touchdowns (three off of punts, one off of a kickoff). That production comes from a combination of instincts, athleticism, and hard work to cultivate them.

And why do the Saints value special teams so highly? Their coordinator Darren Rizzi was integral to developing new kickoff rules for 2024, which make it more favorable for teams to roster multiple returns specialists. He’s always scouted returners heavily. Some of them have hit like Shaheed and Harty. Others fell off like Marquez Callaway and last year’s undrafted rookie Malik Flowers. This year’s second round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry returned  punts at Alabama (35 times, for 427 yards) and said he’s open to helping in the return game if he’s needed.

But Jackson isn’t limited to work on special teams. Over the last two years he caught a combined 107 passes for 1,645 yards with 6 touchdowns as part of Idaho’s one-two punch at wide receiver. It’ll be fascinating to see whether Jackson can overcome the size mismatch with a very talented group of Saints cornerbacks over the summer but he was consistently productive at Idaho. But clearly the team has high expectations for him. All he needs to do is back them up.

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LOOK: LaMelo Ball photographed leaving gym with former NBA player Jalen Rose

LaMelo Ball was spotted this weekend both at Tufts University and leaving a gym with Jalen Rose, both potential results of working with Puma.

Recently photographed in the Boston area, it appears LaMelo Ball may have been working out in a gym alongside a former NBA standout. Ball has already once made a trip to Boston for a meeting with Puma and was once again spotted at Tufts University in Medford, a suburb of Boston, on Saturday.

On Sunday, likely not coincidentally, Ball was photographed leaving a gym alongside his manager Jermaine Jackson and former NBA wingman Jalen Rose. Both Ball and Jackson posted the photos to their Instagram while Rose shared Jackson’s post to his Instagram story.

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As shown in the photo, Rose is also sporting Puma gear as he is an ambassador and consultant for the company.

Puma also helped fund Rose’s Leadership Academy last year as the retired player and brand have a close working relationship.

Ball’s collab with Puma is set to go live on Wednesday and it’s incredibly likely the two were together, at least to start the weekend, to market the new products. Whether the gym they’re leaving in the photo is one used for the aforementioned potential marketing work or as a workout is unknown, though.

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WATCH: LaMelo Ball throws down impressive off-the-back-board alley-oop

LaMelo Ball showed off his own hops on Instagram Wednesday by posting a video of an impressive off-the-backboard alley-oop.

With Lonzo Ball back in New Orleans and the quarantine period effectively over, LaMelo Ball set on his own path to prepare for the return of basketball. Alongside manager Jermaine Jackson, LaMelo traveled to Detroit, Jackson’s hometown, to continue preparing for the 2020 NBA Draft.

LaMelo has been joined by older brother LiAngelo as well with both looking to earn spots in the NBA in different ways. Jackson has posted sparingly about the training sessions taking place but LaMelo took to Instagram on Wednesday to show some of what he’s been working on.

Jackson also shared the video of the dunk on his own Instagram.

Ball is continuing preparing for the upcoming draft, where he is expected to be one of the first names to come off the board.

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Jermaine Jackson denies rumor linking LaMelo Ball to New York Knicks

After a recent report indicating LaMelo Ball preferred to land in New York, his manager Jermaine Jackson seemed to refute those rumors.

The whirlwind of rumors has been constant linking the New York Knicks to LaMelo Ball. Though the draft won’t be held until late in the fall, with no basketball to discuss and most of the NBA quarantining in a bubble in Florida, there are no storylines to discuss either.

The most recent rumor did not come from the Knicks, though. In a rare turn of the tables, it was a report indicating that Ball’s camp was as interested in a partnership with the storied franchise as they were with the youngest in the Ball family.

It was a rumor seemingly out of the blue as no reports had previously come out of Ball’s camp. And though it is near impossible to verify, Jermaine Jackson, LaMelo Ball’s manager, seemed to indicate the report was not true on Instagram.

In defense of Ball’s camp, there is rarely a report that is leaked. Dating back to Ball’s time in the NBL, rarely does anything get out that the camp doesn’t want. The severity of Ball’s injury that ended his season, for example, was never known even after the year ended.

But as noted, there’s no way to verify the legitimacy of the picture. While it falls in line with the narrative so far connecting the two parties, it could all just as easily be a social media ploy. Unfortunately, it’s a distinction that’ll have to continue to be debated until the NBA Draft.

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Lonzo Ball shares his advice given to LaMelo ahead of 2020 NBA Draft

As LaMelo Ball moves forward into an uncertain future with the 2020 NBA Draft, Lonzo Ball shared the advice he gave his youngest brother.

While Lonzo Ball has been able to provide unique advice to younger brother LaMelo on the pre-draft journey before entering the NBA, no one could have prepared him for the circumstances surrounding the 2020 NBA Draft.

In normal years, LaMelo would have already been drafted and would be competing in the Las Vegas Summer League presently. But 2020 has been far from normal and as a result, Ball is nowhere near being drafted.

Instead, the draft lottery and the ensuing draft are both set for the fall. Plans have changed on the fly, but that hasn’t stopped Lonzo from giving LaMelo more advice on how to handle the changes. Lonzo shared what he’s told his brother when talking to the media on Monday.

“I just told him to stay in the gym. I know he’s in Detroit working with (Jermaine Jackson) right now. As long as he gets his work in, regardless of what happens, the draft is going to be in October, I believe, so he should be ready by then. Then, whatever happens for next year, he should be good. I told him to stay in the gym and don’t worry about everything going on.

“Thankfully, our family is healthy so that’s cool. He’s just doing his thing in Detroit right now.”

It’s interesting that LaMelo is spending time with Jermaine Jackson in Detroit and not with LaVar in Chino Hills. LaVar has made it known that he takes full credit for creating three NBA players.

However, Jackson has been at LaMelo’s side for multiple years running now, dating back to SPIRE and through his time in the NBL. Jackson, though, has experience in the NBA, something LaVar doesn’t.

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NBL passes on LaMelo Ball, sells Illawarra Hawks to Bryan Colangelo

After extended discussions with LaMelo Ball, the NBL opted to sell the Illawarra Hawks to a group featuring former Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo.

The long-lasting tale of the sale of the Illawarra Hawks finally came to an end on Tuesday as the NBL announced the franchise would be sold to an ownership group featuring former Philadelphia 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo. A consortium led by LaMelo Ball was long considered the front-runner to purchase the franchise.

A statement from Colangelo was included in the league’s press release on the announcement.

“We are thrilled to be selected as new partners with the league and pledge to outperform the expectations placed on us and deliver for Hawks fans. Australian basketball with its great history has been on a significant rise for many years now and the NBL has played a significant role in growing the sport’s awareness and participation levels, while developing some of the best athlete and coaching talent the world has to offer.”

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ball’s group and the league had “serious discussions” about the sale of the team but a deal “never materialized.” Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the last report indicated that Ball’s group was closing in on a deal.

The saga as to whether Ball’s group would be able to buy the franchise dates back to early April when Jermaine Jackson, Ball’s manager, jumped the gun and told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that they had completed a deal to buy the Hawks. Both sides then walked back the claims and were never able to come to an agreement on a deal after that point.

Interestingly, the new ownership group intends to remove the name Illawarra from the name of the team. The team will be known simply as the Hawks moving forward.

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Report: LaMelo Ball closing in on purchase of Illawarra Hawks, deal ‘imminent’

LaMelo Ball and his consortium are, at last, closing in on the purchase of the Illawarra Hawks with a deal now imminent.

After much, much back and forth between LaMelo Ball, the Illawarra Hawks and the NBL, it appears Ball is finally closing in on the purchase of the franchise. The Illawarra Mercury reported on Monday that a deal between the NBL and Ball is “imminent.”

This news flies directly in contrast of the most recent report stating that the NBL was moving on Ball and his consortium. The tale of the sale of the franchise has been a long, winding one, starting with a surprising link between Ball and the club that appeared to immediately lead to the purchase.

Just as quickly, the league came out and pushed back against the report of the sale being final and thus began a long process of the NBL taking over control of the team while seeking a full report on the state of the finances of the club.

Now, though, appears to be the real deal as the sides have circled one another for weeks before  closing in on this deal.

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LaMelo Ball’s purchase of Illawarra Hawks in serious doubt as NBL moves on

Once something that looked like a done deal, LaMelo Ball’s purchase of the Illawarra Hawks appears to be in most doubt yet.

Once something that was declared a done deal, LaMelo Ball’s purchase of the Illawarra Hawks is facing its most doubt yet.

On Wednesday, the Illawarra Mercury reported that the league was shifting its focus away from the LaMelo Ball-led consortium to other groups, seemingly ending his pursuit of owning the franchise.

This move comes after more and more information has been revealed about the state of the franchise in past days and weeks. Most recently, the state of the franchise’s finances was revealed, painting a particularly grim picture for the future.

While former teammate Aaron Brooks was in support of Ball’s purchase of the team, he was not met with unanimous support. Former NBL commissioner Rick Burton offered some warnings to Ball about buying the franchise while Hawks legend Glen Saville was against the idea.

At one point, the purchase was considered a done deal by Ball’s manager Jermaine Jackson as he told Jonathan Givony the transaction was complete. But Jackson, Ball and the NBL all had to quickly walk back the reports as part of what was deemed a miscommunication. Since then, the possibility of a deal has only grown less and less likely.

Ball spent the season on the court with the Hawks, playing 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury. During his dozen games, Ball averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

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LaVar Ball says LaMelo’s deal for Illawarra Hawks ‘is not dead’

Despite a lack of news in recent weeks, LaVar Ball insists LaMelo’s potential deal for the Illawarra Hawks is not dead.

After a flurry of news and reports in the first weekend of the franchise being up for sale, everything has gone quiet around the Illawarra Hawks, the NBL and LaMelo Ball’s consortium. But that delay is not due in part to Ball and his camp. In an interview with AAP’s Peter Mitchell, LaVar Ball talked about the status of the sale of the franchise.

Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, said on Thursday the 18-year-old is “ready, willing and able” to purchase the team.

“We are just waiting to see what they (NBL) say,” LaVar told AAP on Thursday.

Initially, it appeared LaMelo and his consortium had quickly swooped in and bought the franchise days after the NBL took control of the team. But Jermaine Jackson, LaMelo’s manager, jumped the gun on the news as the NBL was still fielding offers.

LaVar noted in the interview that the current COVID-19 situation has delayed matters with regards to the purchase of the team and reiterated the deal is not dead. While the current situation has slowed matters, though, it also means there is no rush from either side on the situation as well.

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LaMelo Ball working out with LaVar, Lonzo ahead of 2020 NBA Draft

Despite being quarantined to his house, LaMelo Ball has continued preparing for the 2020 NBA Draft by adding muscle to his frame.

Like athletes across the world, the normal routine for LaMelo Ball in the lead up to the 2020 NBA Draft has long gone out the window. In most years, players like Ball would be practicing daily in gymnasiums with specialized trainers while preparing for the predraft process. It wouldn’t even be a stretch to think that a top prospect like Ball would have begun individual workouts with teams.

Instead, everything is on hold across the sports landscape. Ball has remained at the Big Baller mansion and has been joined by older brothers LiAngelo and Lonzo. But the Ball family has taken the time together to work out with one another, led by father LaVar Ball.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony talked to LaMelo’s manager Jermaine Jackson about Ball’s current workout routine and the effects it’s already had.

“Right now Melo is focused on the weight room and working on his game training with Lavar. His father is doing a phenomenal job. He already put seven pounds of muscle on him. He’s working out with Lonzo and Gelo trying to get ready for whatever comes next. He’s grown half an inch in the last few months.”

The last sentence might be the most intriguing. There has yet been an official measurement of any sort for LaMelo’s height. Photos have shown in the past that he’s already taller than Lonzo, who is listed at 6’6″ on the Pelicans roster.

It’s also notable that LaMelo has added muscle to his frame. It’s almost certainly one of the first things any NBA team would have asked him to start doing given his slender frame. Lonzo himself has bulked up significantly since his rookie year.

Both Lonzo and LiAngelo have experience in what playing professionally and can mentor LaMelo in that aspect as well. Given the circumstances, it’s hard to think of a better position for LaMelo to be in than with family and fellow professionals while still training.

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