It has barely been six weeks since LaMelo Ball got into a car accident in Charlotte. Yet, his teammates have already begun joking about what could have been a traumatic incident.
Moussa Diabate, Ball’s teammate on the Hornets, appeared for an interview with NBA insider Zach Lowe, where he poked fun at his teammate about his driving skills.
“Hell nah, never will,” said Diabate when Lowe asked him whether he had ever been in a car driven by LaMelo Ball.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. He had that one incident that happened, but yeah, nah, I haven’t,” Diabate further added as Lowe erupted into laughter.
In the third week of February, Ball was involved in a car accident that led to one of his cars losing its tires. But thankfully, nothing happened to either driver as they apparently walked away unscathed after the incident.
Lamelo Ball SWERVED into oncoming traffic 🤔 pic.twitter.com/iGl9rsEu92
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) February 19, 2026
Ball seemed a bit frustrated in a follow-up interview with the media’s incessant questions, but the team was overall not seeing it as a distraction.
NBA fans saw this take on social media and asked Diabate not to joke about a serious matter like car accidents.
“Dawg, this will be a horrible video if the wrong thing happens.”
“It’ll be funny until he kills somebody.”
“That response was way too quick. 😂😂😂”
“Moussa didn’t even hesitate; that’s a man who values his life. 😂”
“Yeah, it’s all jokes until something serious happens in their life.”
“Moussa Diabate is not taking any chances! LaMelo Ball behind the wheel sounds like a wild ride, and honestly… can you blame him? That’s one trip you might never forget.”
Subsequently, after Charlotte’s citizens criticized him, LaMelo Ball was seen driving much more carefully on the roads. Contrary to the word among fans that Ball is a reckless driver.
Someone compiled clips of LaMelo Ball’s reckless and dangerous driving out of the Charlotte Hornets arena 😳 pic.twitter.com/6C48PDc6E6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 22, 2024
It seems like the former All-Star is trying to rectify his image among the community. Furthermore, the Hornets have been 13-5 since the incident, and Ball’s form has improved.
In the first 45 games he played this season, he averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.1% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc. The Hornets had a 23-22 record at that time.
In the last 18 games, he has averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while going 42.3% from the field and 38.7% from the three-point line. Clearly, his offensive production has also improved.
One can argue that Ball’s incident may have made him a lot more serious about winning.
Nonetheless, it is unclear if Ball is comfortable with his teammates joking about his involvement in the car accident just yet. But knowing his personality, he probably is fine with his teammates joking about it.
