LaMelo donating one month's salary to aid Australian bushfire victims
Teenage basketball sensation LaMelo Ball has pledged to donate one month's salary toward relief efforts for Australia's ongoing bushfires, the Illawarra Hawks announced.
"It's sad to see what is happening on the south coast of Australia. People have lost their homes and everything they own," Ball said in a statement. "My parents taught me to help out wherever I can, so this is my way of helping out."
The 18-year-old brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball is widely projected to be among the top picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball has impressed during his time in the NBL, averaging 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, seven assists, and 1.6 steals in 12 games.
Initially a UCLA commit, Ball opted against the traditional route to the NBA by signing a two-year deal - with opt-out clauses - with the Australian professional team in June. That decision followed brief stints with professional Lithuanian side BC Vytautas and in the short-lived Junior Basketball Association - the latter of which was founded by his father, LaVar Ball - and a return to high school at Ohio's SPIRE Institute.