LaMelo Ball showed the world on Sunday what Charlotte has known all along
The anticipation for LaMelo Ball’s first All-Star appearance bubbled up even before he landed in Cleveland. His alley-oop co-pilot reminded everyone why the Charlotte Hornets point guard was a snug fit for the NBA’s annual glitzy event.
After all, Ball’s flair is as eye-catching as anyone’s.
“I hope people get to see the crazy stuff that he does in our games,” Hornets forward Miles Bridges said. “He does a lot of flashy passes, a lot of highlight plays. He’s perfect for the All-Star Game. I think he’s going to thrive in that.”
Bridges’ prediction was correct.
With millions watching across the globe on television to go along with the thousands at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Ball officially became the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history. He netted 18 points to go with three assists, three rebounds and three steals for Team Durant in its 163-160 loss to Team LeBron on Sunday night. He, of course, also turned in a play or two that are likely to be shared and viewed by millions on social media, such as the between-the-legs alley-oop to San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray.
“I thought it was great for real, the new games and stuff,” Ball said. “I thought was cool. Just the whole experience for real (was) just dope.”
The game was a culmination of a weekend in the spotlight for the face of the Hornets, representing the latest occasion of Ball standing on a world-like stage. Although the Hornets have played on national television six times this season — which marks the most appearances since the team returned to Charlotte — being handpicked as an injury replacement for Kevin Durant by NBA commissioner Adam Silver served as another significant step in the franchise’s relevancy.
He received some of the loudest ovations of any player during the pregame introductions when his name was bellowed by rapper Machine Gun Kelly. Roars were also heard at the Rising Stars event on Friday, a showcase featuring the top first- and second-year players. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, given his early star power. Ball’s jerseys are sprinkled in just about every visiting arena and he’s a marketable player, making him feel right at home with the league’s elite over the weekend.
“It was amazing,” Ball said. “I feel blessed. It was just a great experience.”
Some of the greatest players of all time were also in the house thanks to the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary team over the weekend. That includes Ball’s boss, Hornets’ owner Michael Jordan, who was in Florida earlier in the day taking in the Daytona 500, where his 23XI Racing team with driver Bubba Wallace finished second.
“It’s really impressive,” Miami Heat and Team Durant coach Erik Spoelstra said of Ball. “But his feel, his I.Q. for the game, his ability to make his teammates better — that jumps off the screen every time you see him play. And clearly, his creativity for the moment, as an opponent you just have to be mindful of it and limit those moments that he has during the course of the game.”
Comparisons for Ball have varied, but they all come back to a common theme: His skillset already ranks up there with a few who are in rare company. Flash and substance are a huge part of his game and LA Clippers coach Ty Lue, who knows plenty about playing point guard in the NBA, likened Ball to someone else who entertained the masses in his own creative fashion.
“He reminds me a lot of Jason Williams — the white chocolate Jason Williams,” Lue said. “The way he plays. He’s fun to watch. He’s entertaining.”
“Spectacular,” Lue added. “I think his passing ability, his instincts, has a really great knack for offensive rebounding – I think he’s averaging 1.7 offensive rebounds per game – pushes the basketball. And I think the biggest thing is his shot (and) his shot improving. He’s tough. Fun to play with. Very exciting to watch and like I said he’s a really, really good player.”
Everything in Ball’s impressive trajectory suggests this is only the beginning of his potentially yearly taste of the league’s annual winter exhibition. It was his chance to rub elbows with the NBA’s best, perhaps get a pointer that he can incorporate into his routine or mental basketball database leading into the Hornets’ final 22 games of the season as they make their playoff push.
“Have fun, No. 1,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “But secondly get around some of these greats — you can’t touch them all but — pick their brain. How do they work? How do they operate? What does work look like for them? I think soaking up some of that knowledge from these greats around him is going to be really important for him as he continues to develop.
“Melo is 20 and he gets this experience around these men that have done this for years and are still at an extremely high level.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2022 at 12:08 AM.
