Tag: Jermaine Jackson

LaMelo Ball takes in Brooklyn Nets, LIU Brooklyn games in return to states

After his return to the states, LaMelo Ball is already taking in multiple basketball games from both the NBA and NCAA.

While the nature in which he did so may be under question, LaMelo Ball has returned stateside and has already started taking in various basketball games.

With his former side forced to cancel a game due to a leak in the roof, Ball was spotted at both an NBA game and an NCAA game over the weekend. First on Friday, Ball was spotted in attendance at the Barclays Center alongside manager Jermaine Jackson to take in the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Chicago Bulls.

In that game, Irving was dazzling, scoring 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting while adding five rebounds and five assists. The Nets won the game 133-118.

One night later, Ball was at a vastly smaller game in Long Island University Brooklyn’s contest against Merrimack. Ball and Jackson were in attendance this time to see Jackson’s son, Jermaine Jackson Jr., play for LIU Brooklyn. Jackson Jr. spent the 2017-18 season at Detroit where his father served as an assistant coach from 2015 until 2018 and as the interim head coach briefly in 2016.

Jackson Jr. transferred from Detroit following the 2017-18 season and spent a year away from Division I basketball before committing to LIU Brooklyn. In the year away from basketball, Jackson Jr. and Ball spent time together while at SPIRE Institute where Jackson served as head coach.

This season, Jackson Jr. is averaging 9.8 points per game for the Sharks and 10 points in Saturday’s loss to Merrimack, 70-59.

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Illawarra owner says LaMelo ‘needed’ to be apart from LaVar during NBL season

LaMelo and LaVar Ball have spent many months apart since the former began play in the NBL, a potentially much-needed development.

While much of LaMelo Ball has been covered during his time in Australia, including a terrific recent feature from Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader, he has slid relatively under the radar off the court. Not coincidentally, the radio silence coincides with LaVar being far away from LaMelo.

As was noted before LaMelo even left for Australia, Jermaine Jackson would be with Ball while LaVar remained in California. Jackson had grown close to the family and Ball in particular after spending a season as his coach at SPIRE Institute.

On top of being a move that made logistical sense, giving LaMelo a break from his often overbearing father was a much-needed reprieve for both parties, as said by Illawarra Hawks owner Simon Stratford in a recent feature on LaMelo.

“I think it’s a big step for both of them, father and son. I’d certainly be worried letting my son go to the other side of the world, but I think it was needed for them both. I think LaVar is a better person for just letting LaMelo do his thing. He has been forced to grow up in this six-month period that he is in the NBL.”

Ball has been forced to grow up multiple times in his life and career but perhaps no move has been bigger than his current stop in Australia. Both on and off the court, he has further developed into an adult and a bona fide NBA prospect.

In a career where little has made sense, Ball’s stop in Australia may end up being the best thing to happen to him yet.

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