JLA: 'NBL only way to NBA'

Friday, September 22, 2023

"I woke up and I saw Cooks signed for the league (the NBA), and I was like ‘I’m going back."

Photo: Melbourne United Media

With averages of 18.3 points and 10.6 rebounds a game for the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings in China last year, a double-double night after night, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. really couldn’t have done much more to stake his claim for a spot in the NBA.

But he quickly came to the realisation, if he wants to live out his dream, the only way is via the pathways so many players are now choosing - the NBL.

Lual-Acuil Jr. watched Xavier Cooks dominate NBL23, ultimately earning a contract with the Washington Wizards. Just a season earlier, he himself had finished among the top three MVP candidates. If he wanted to be noticed like Cooks, the choice was clear.

“I woke up and I saw Cooks signed for the league (the NBA), and I was like ‘I’m going back’,” he revealed on Melbourne United’s ‘Behind the Blue’ documentary.

“Once I saw that I knew that was the only way I could get there (via the NBL).”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Covering the journey from just a pair of players under contract to a complete roster that includes perhaps the NBL’s strongest local core in years, ‘Behind The Blue’ gives fans a unique look behind the scenes of our free agency period.<br>Watch the full doco: <a href="https://t.co/F1HNDlIreZ">https://t.co/F1HNDlIreZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/d4Fd5Y1uMn">pic.twitter.com/d4Fd5Y1uMn</a></p>— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1704739292789326304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While Lual-Acuil Jr’s pre-season has been hampered by a wrist injury, he looms as one of the NBL’s most exciting players once again.

He’s set to play a key role in United’s push for a return to finals action, and with what looks a Championship-quality roster alongside him, has the best chance to succeed.

“I feel that’s going to take care of itself,” Lual-Acuil Jr. said of what he needs to do to reach his goal.

“One thing Cooks did do was win. That’s above everything else, is win.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This week in a special NBL Blitz ep of The Extra Pass, Ben is joined by Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. The pair talk through United’s first games of the Blitz, why JLA made his decision to come back to MU, & more.<br>Listen here <a href="https://t.co/ObxyWOOQnL">https://t.co/ObxyWOOQnL</a> or via Spotify or Apple & Google Podcasts. <a href="https://t.co/u9oNDa2Dsb">pic.twitter.com/u9oNDa2Dsb</a></p>— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1704299340259590315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Lual-Acuil Jr. last played for United in the NBL22 campaign, boasting averaging of 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds a game.

A similar return this year will surely catch the eyes of the NBA’s scouts, who continue to search Australia for the next potential star.

Watch the full documentary here >> United give fans a look ‘Behind The Blue’ with offseason documentary