Hornets had to wake LaMelo Ball from a nap to tell him he made the NBA All-Star Game
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will replace Kevin Durant in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland.")
LaMelo Ball was asleep and catching up on his pre-game rest when his slumber got interrupted.
Ball’s cell phone buzzed and on the other end was Mitch Kupchak, the Charlotte Hornets’ general manager. Kupchak had some news to deliver to their second-year point guard.
“I was actually taking a nap and my phone was ringing and it was Mitch,” Ball said Monday night. “I just woke up from a nap, so I was tired and I was like, ‘Hello? Oh for real? Thank you.’”
Yes, the Hornets will have a representative in the All-Star Game later this month after all. Ball was named as an Eastern Conference reserve by commissioner Adam Silver on Monday and is replacing Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, the NBA announced. The Nets’ star is recovering from an MCL sprain suffered Jan. 15 and is unable to play in the league’s annual showcase, which takes place in Cleveland on Feb. 20. Boston’s Jayson Tatum is going to step into the starting lineup in Durant’s spot.
Ball has elevated his game in his second season, averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds heading into Monday night’s matchup with Toronto. He was among those with the most fan votes at the guard position, but Atlanta’s Trae Young and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan were selected as starters.
Ball also didn’t get tabbed as one of the reserves initially when they were announced last week, instead watching Tatum, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Cleveland’s Darius Garland, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Brooklyn’s James Harden and Toronto’s Fred VanVleet grab the honors. But now, he’s going to be the Hornets’ first All-Star since Kemba Walker in 2018-19, the year the game was held at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
“I’m pretty much blessed, excited,” Ball said. “The season is still going on, the game is going on. I’m just worried about the game.”
The ascension continues for the Hornets’ floor general, who keeps shattering impressive marks. He’s the fourth-youngest in league history to be dubbed an All-Star and is just one of 11 players who’ve been selected prior to turning 21 years old.
Already tying the franchise’s single-season record for most triple-doubles with four, Ball is in select company. He’s one of 10 players to rack up that many triple-doubles this season and is the second-youngest player in league history to stockpile five triple-doubles.
Ball’s duties at All-Star weekend will begin two days before the actual game, when he’s a part of the Clorox Rising Stars. That takes place Feb. 18.
“He’s worked extremely hard,” coach James Borrego said. “He’s played well and deserves this honor and now it should be just about building on that.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 4:24 PM.
