Ever since LaMelo Ball’s egregious move against Bam Adebayo in last night’s play-in game (which the Hornets won in overtime), the entire basketball world has been waiting for the NBA to respond.
While some were calling for more severe penalties against LaMelo (24), others were arguing that the NBA should move on and forget about the whole ordeal. Finally, on late Wednesday evening, the league announced fines for Ball in the sum of $60,000 (including $25K for cursing after the game). They also upgraded his personal foul to a flagrant, though they refused to issue any formal suspension.
“The NBA is fining Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball $35,000 for his trip of Miami’s Bam Adebayo and upgrading the action to a Flagrant, plus fining him $25,000 for cursing postgame,” wrote Shams Charania on X. “$60K in fines, Flagrant. No suspension.”
It was an ugly scene in Charlotte on Tuesday, when Bam Adebayo (28) went down 11 minutes into the NBA’s opening play-in game. He was only able to contribute six points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and zero blocks per game on 3-3 shooting from the field before his night was cut short. As Ball was going up for a layup, he fell to the floor after a good defensive possession, with Adebayo coming down not long after. Soon after, Ball proceeded to take a cheap shot at Adebayo, swiping at his feet and causing him to fall with excessive force.
Bam went to the locker room and didn’t return with what was later diagnosed as a lower back injury. Without his presence on the floor, the Heat soon collapsed, and their season is now over after taking the 127-126 loss. It didn’t take long for people across the league to condemn LaMelo’s actions, including Erik Spoelstra and NBA analyst Nick Wright.
The noise was so loud that Ball himself felt compelled to apologize after the game, where he explained that there was no malicious intent behind his actions. Nevertheless, despite support from his older brother, Lonzo, fans weren’t so quick to believe LaMelo, especially given his shoddy reputation and controversial history. Over six years of (mostly) losing seasons in Charlotte, Ball has been tagged for his poor leadership, with critics pointing to his immaturity, car accidents, and lackadaisical work ethic.
There have even been rumblings about the Hornets trading Ball, but no deal is imminent right now. Instead, the Hornets plan to take this core as far as they can go, and there are signs that upsets could be possible. Between LaMelo’s impact and the presence of Kon Knueppel on the wing (18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the rookie), this team isn’t the same one that’s been stuck in irrelevance for decades.
For the first time, the Hornets are building something lasting, and that means it’s even more important for Ball to get with the program and avoid becoming a problem. His antics can be forgiven as long as he’s producing, but every team has its limits, and the Hornets must be getting close to theirs. Between the injuries, questionable leadership, and dirty plays, Charlotte has faced one setback after another, and now is the time for their star point guard to set the right example and begin the road to restoring his damaged reputation.
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