Just hours after a brutal defeat against the Atlanta Hawks, LaMelo Ball announced a major change for next season.
According to the Hornets star, he’ll be switching jersey numbers for the 2022-23 campaign, back to his iconic No. 1 that he donned for most of his High School and International basketball career.
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball said he’s never felt comfortable wearing a No. 2 jersey and is planning on a switch to No. 1 for the 2022-23 NBA season.
“That’s supposed to happen. I’m not supposed to wear No. 2 ever again in my life,” Ball told reporters Thursday.
When Ball was drafted, Malik Monk wore No. 1 for Charlotte and he was apparently unwilling to give it up to his new teammate.
After Monk left for the Lakers in 2021 free agency, Ball missed the deadline to make the switch, postponing the change for another year.
“I’m fighting every day [to switch the number],” Ball said back in September. “Definitely just want to be me out there and just playing in No. 2 don’t feel right.”
Now, finally, he’ll have the opportunity to wear his number. Of course, Ball probably has bigger things to worry about anyway.
After leading the Hornets to their second straight play-in blowout, LaMelo faces a huge challenge in getting the team to a place of contention in the East.
With rumors of a potential Gordon Hayward trade, and Miles Bridges likely to command a max contract this summer, the future is still uncertain for Charlotte.
But, so long as the team has Melo, they have a guy they can build around. With averages of 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game on 42% shooting, he has proven to be a valuable young player.
