Tag: New Zealand Breakers

Karim Lopez on NBL: ‘I feel like it’s the best path for me’

The New Zealand Breakers recently signed 17-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez as part of the NBL’s Rising Stars program. The 6-foot-7 Lopez, an up-and-coming player from a strong international basketball background, will bring versatility and …

The New Zealand Breakers recently signed 17-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez as part of the NBL’s Rising Stars program. The 6-foot-7 Lopez, an up-and-coming player from a strong international basketball background, will bring versatility and size to the Breakers.

As the son of former Mexican basketball player Jesus “Chino” Lopez, Karim Lopez has already made his mark across various leagues. He most recently showcased his skills in Spain’s Liga Endesa, where he gained valuable experience despite limited playing time. This past week, Lopez participated in Under Armour’s Elite 24 camp in Brooklyn, New York, where he stood out among top high school recruits, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds in the final game.

Lopez has also gained international experience by representing Mexico’s senior National Team and previously contributed to the U22 National Team. At the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he averaged 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Lopez spoke with HoopsHype after the UA scrimmage to discuss his decision to join the NBL, his playstyle, expectations, background and more.

Report: LaMelo Ball, RJ Hampton earned $500,000 for season in NBL

LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton were two of the highest-paid players in the 2019-20 NBL season as part of the Next Stars program.

LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton’s decision to take part in the Next Stars program in the NBL had multiple benefits for the prospects. On top of allowing the players to develop their skillsets as a professional in an environment without classes or tests or the responsibilities that go along with being a student-athlete, the NBL also offered a financial incentive that the NCAA (legally) doesn’t.

During Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast with Brian Windhorst, DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony offered new details as to what the contracts for Ball and Hampton looked like for the NBL.

“They will end up netting around $500,000 after they get (incentives). It’s the same thing with Jalen Green. It’s incentivized. He has to play a certain amount of games, he has to make a certain amount of appearances, he has to conduct their life skills part of the program. So, I think (the NBA) looked at what happened in the NBL and LaMelo Ball, his last game was Nov. 30. He had two triple-doubles then he had this mysterious foot injury, shut it down and didn’t play another game the rest of the season. That was a big hit for the NBL.”

This is the first reported figure for Ball and Hampton’s deals with the NBL. The only relatively certainty was that the league outbid the NBA’s G League Select Contract. Prior to the recent changes, the G League Select Contract was $125,000 last season.

The $500,000 contracts for Ball and Hampton are huge figures relative to the rest of the NBL. The salary cap for last season in the NBL was $1.43 million, meaning Ball and Hampton theoretically made up one-third of their team’s salary cap. However, their salaries do not count toward the cap as the league pays their salaries.

Still, it puts into perspective how big their salaries are. For more context, one of the league’s top players, Bryce Cotton, earned $600,000 for the 2017-18 season and was the highest-paid player in the league. While it’s a few years in the past, it again gives an idea of how large Ball and Hampton’s salaries were.

Ranking LaMelo Ball’s top five games with the Illawarra Hawks

LaMelo Ball had many great moments and games during his brief time in the NBL. Here are his five best games with the Illawarra Hawks.

LaMelo Ball’s time in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Illawarra Hawks was as memorable as it was short. Despite playing in just 12 games, Ball recorded a pair of triple-doubles and made a lasting impact on the league.

In total, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists. His shooting splits were not pretty as he struggled with his jumper for much of his time with the Hawks, shooting just 38.9% from the field and 27.9% from beyond the arc.

But, as noted, his high moments in the league were as high as any of his competitors this season. Here is a look at those top moments and his best games of the season.

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LaMelo Ball notches back-to-back triple-doubles, Hawks fall to Breakers

LaMelo Ball recorded his second-consecutive triple-double on Saturday but Illawarra could not overcome a slow first half despite a lively second-half rally, falling to the New Zealand Breakers 91-78.

LaMelo Ball recorded his second-consecutive triple-double on Saturday but Illawarra could not overcome a slow first half despite a lively second-half rally, falling to the New Zealand Breakers 91-78.

Ball wasn’t nearly as efficient in his second consecutive triple-double but he was imperative in Illawarra’s second-half rally. The Hawks slowly began chipping away at the huge deficit in the third quarter and cut the margin to single digits in the fourth period.

However, down six points in the latter stages of the quarter, Ball missed a pair of free throws after a flagrant foul and the Hawks came up empty on the ensuing possession before Sek Henry buried a three-pointer to put distance between the two sides again.

From there, Illawarra never could find its footing back in the game as the visiting Hawks stumbled down the stretch. While Ball notched his triple-double late in the contest, his 23 points on the night came on 28 shots as he finished just 10-for-28 from the field. Most notably, Ball’s three-point shooting, which had improved in recent weeks, regressed dramatically on the night as he finished 1-for-11.

But Ball pulled down 12 rebounds, handed out 10 assists and had a big role in pulling the Hawks back into the game late. His highlight of the night came on a coast-to-coast play that started with a rebound and ended with a two-handed dunk.

The New Zealand lead peaked at 21 points early in the third quarter at 63-42. But a 14-3 run cut the advantage to just 10 points, a margin that would carry to the end of the third.

A three-pointer from Tim Coenraad after a Ball rebound cut the lead all the way down to 71-69, the closest the Hawks would get in the fourth quarter.

Ball became the first player in the 40-minute era of NBL’s history to record consecutive triple-doubles. It’s the fourth back-to-back triple-double in league history.