Getting more exposure with a big name like Lonzo is good for the NBL.

No Sh*T balls time is done in the NBL.

once he got lock top 5 he was gonna be out injured...only staying in the country for his pay check!

With the Hawks dead last, there's not much to gain but a lot to lose for him if he returns. I couldn't blame him at all for sitting out even if he is healthy enough to return for a couple of games at the end.
Either way it has been a win for the league to have him here, and hopefully a win for him as well to develop his game in a real league.

There are some really sad and bitter people here.
From day one, all they have done is bag the crap out of Lamelo and his Dad, predicting what a disaster this would be for everyone.
How his Dad was a lose-cannon who would embarrass the Hawks, etc, etc.

Instead, its been a success for everyone.
Lamelo has become a probable no.1 pick, the Hawks have sold God knows how much merchandise, our league has been seen allover the world, and his dad has publicly praised the league.

Rather than the spoiled brat you predicted, he's been the perfect ambassador for the program, and played his arse off.
Yes, sure, he's played like a teenager, albeit a very talented one, but by and large he's shown a good head for the game.

Donating a months salary was a nice, and generous, gesture. Maybe PR, but still nice.

Obviously his injury will be treated with kid-gloves. He's 19 with a huge multi-million dollar career ahead of him, and his team his done for the season, rushing him back serves no purpose.

Faking a long-term injury would be counter-productive.

If he goes home he don't get paid.

The hawks would have the cut him...which they won't!

Why leave when you can chill in Oz and get paid to do so?

"How is it mismanagement?" Paying out the rest of his salary to an injured player is mismanagment. Does he fly to away games like the injured Martin?

If he is just staying in Australia to get paid; somehow I don't think that family would worry about $10,000 to $20,000 in salary.

Lonzo is pulling in $10 million a year and if the rumour are true, Melo will be getting a cool $100 million and a jet very soon.

I think the tough guy act can stop now. The kid is a good egg and is doing everything right by the league.

"Payout is irrelevant for the Hawks, Melo is a next star and is paid by the NBL."
Man there are so many idiots here who just post shit because they think it's true.
AFAIK Melo is on $100K per NBL season which is paid by Illawarra. The NS payment that subsisides his salary id Approx $300k which comes from the NBL. So he's injured still getting paid and still here.

Yet another expert just said "if he is just staying in Australia to get paid; somehow I don't think that family would worry about $10,000 to $20,000 in salary."
So now he's playing here for $10k to $20k. Get off the meds man, they ain't working. You really think his family dishes out $$$$'s to their son? This place is getting full of cretins.

Who is Bruce?

FWIW Kings sent out an e-mail today promoting their home fixture on 14 Feb vs. Hawks as "LaMelo's Final Game".

Hey Perthworld should we change our handle to Bruceworld lol.