Former two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bryan Colangelo is among a group of investors that has purchased an ownership stake in the Illawarra Hawks, Australia's National Basketball League announced Tuesday.
The 55-year-old will operate in an advisory role and won't be involved in the team's day-to-day operations, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Colangelo most recently served as the Philadelphia 76ers' president of basketball operations, starting in April 2016. He resigned in June 2018 after an investigation revealed that his wife used anonymous Twitter accounts to post sensitive information about the team and its players.
Prior to Philadelphia, Colangelo served as the Phoenix Suns' general manager from 1995-2006, then led the Toronto Raptors from 2006-13, winning the league's top award for front-office executives in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
In announcing the purchase, the NBL has also agreed to let the franchise be known simply as the "Hawks," dropping Illawarra from its name in an effort to expand its footprint.
Colangelo's group edged out another that included LaMelo Ball, the youngest brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball. In the NBL's release, league chairman Larry Kestelman thanked Ball's group for its interest in purchasing the team.
"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," Kestelman said.
LaMelo, who is expected to be a high lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, played 12 games for the Hawks in 2019-20, averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the New South Wales-based organization.
