In what has been a positive season for the Charlotte Hornets, LaMelo Ball just had a close call that could have changed the entire trajectory of his career. In a breaking story by Charlotte local news reporter Mark Schulman, it was revealed that Ball was involved in a car accident on Wednesday that damaged his custom Hummer.
“Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball was in a wreck Wednesday afternoon in the heart of Uptown Charlotte,” wrote Schulman. “Chopper 9 SkyZoom flew over the scene of Trade and Tryon streets, where a sedan was damaged and was in the middle of the intersection. Ball’s custom 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 was on the side of the street, missing a front wheel.”
Lamelo Ball got in a car crash in Charlotte 😳 pic.twitter.com/hwhGqP61JF
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) February 18, 2026
In a video of the incident, you can see colission happen in real time, at a crowded intersection with multiple traffic lights. LaMelo appears to drive on in the initial video, but he was later seen ditching his vehicle to leave the scene in a Lamborghini.
“Witnesses told Channel 9 that a gray Kia sedan was going east on Trade Street,” Schulman added. “Ball was going west on Trade when he tried to take a left onto the one-way Tryon Street, which was when the collision happened. Witnesses said they saw Ball get out of the Hummer and get in a Lamborghini.”
The good news is that there were no serious injuries reported in this incident, meaning the damage is not permanent. It’s hard to tell who was at fault in the video, but it’s possible that both parties got caught trying to beat the light. In the end, they learned a valuable lesson: some risks aren’t worth taking.
For Ball, it’s hardly the first time he’s been caught getting into trouble on the road. He’s notorious for his reckless driving behavior, which often involves breaking basic traffic laws in custom/luxury vehicles. This time, it cost him a custom-built Hummer that likely won’t be easily (or cheaply) repaired.
LaMelo Ball be driving like it’s GTA 😭pic.twitter.com/HFicaOmpag
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 18, 2026
These types of incidents are why LaMelo’s reputation has suffered so greatly. For a guy who is supposed to be the leader of his franchise, his poor judgment and decision-making only reflect his lack of maturity and self-control. These qualities could be why his reputation is so low, but there’s still time to bring it back up.
With averages of 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 40.1% shooting from the field and 36.3% shooting from three, Ball’s game is undeniable, and it has helped the Hornets to their best season in years (ninth in the East at 26-29). Still, if they are to take that next step as a team, they’ll need LaMelo to stop acting up and set the right example for his teammates.
