Hornets star LaMelo Ball addresses comment that led to six-figure NBA fine
LaMelo Ball’s pockets got a little lighter on Sunday and the Charlotte Hornets’ star had a conversation with his head coach about expectations moving forward.
Ball was fined $100,000 by the NBA for “making an offensive and derogatory comment” in a postgame interview on FanDuel Sports Southeast following the Hornets’ wild 115-114 win over Milwaukee on Saturday night. He insisted there wasn’t any malicious intent.
“Before we get started I just want to address the comment yesterday,” Ball said after posting 31 points and 12 assists in the Hornets’ 128-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday. “I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody and I don’t discriminate.”
The remark, which included an anti-gay term, and subsequent punishment by the league earned Ball a chat with coach Charles Lee after the team arrived off shores of Lake Erie following their outing against Milwaukee. Lee made it clear the Hornets weren’t happy with the behavior leading to Ball’s six-figure fine.
“As an organization that’s obviously not something we condone,” Lee said. “Our standards and what is required of our players and our environment that we create is really important to us. I spoke to Melo and he’s obviously very apologetic.
“From what I’ve seen since I’ve been around him, he loves everyone. He’s a joy to have around in the facility and that’s not typically how he operates.”
Still, Lee felt a discussion with the Hornets’ fifth-year pro was necessary.
“As he and I talked about the seriousness of the situation, and how he needs to conduct himself going forward, he understands what is going to be expected of him,” Lee said. “So, I look forward to seeing him grow from this moment. But I definitely wanted to start off by saying we apologize.”
Asked if he was assured by Ball that it won’t happen again, Lee didn’t flinch.
“Yeah, he and I talked about it and he definitely said going forward, ‘I want to be better,’” Lee said. “And I don’t want to see that happen. And for someone to use those words and say it out of his mouth, now we will make sure we hold him accountable to that.”
Ball and the Hornets (5-8) were searching for some positivity after the NBA came down hard on the Hornets’ star a few hours before tipoff. But they had a hefty task in front of them: trying to knock off the league’s only remaining undefeated team on its home court, even if the Cavaliers (15-0) were without star Donovan Mitchell, who sat out for rest purposes.
Instead, they were left searching for answers on how they came so close on a few occasions in the second half, but couldn’t put together enough sustained stops defensively and didn’t have a flawless offensive flow necessary to defeat the hottest team in the league.
“We’ve just got to be locked in from the get-go,” Miles Bridges said. “We’ve got to be physical with this team. And that’s about it. We’ve just got to be locked in.”
Which is precisely how Ball sees things, too.
“Pretty much, we’ve just got to lock in, everybody band together,” Ball said. “It’s pretty much onto the next one.”
Missing Tre Mann
For the second time in their past three games, the Hornets were without their sixth Mann and the bench production just wasn’t the same.
Tre Mann sat out with lower back soreness, an issue he’s had to navigate for the better part of the past week. Although he suited up in their win over Milwaukee 24 hours earlier, the Hornets decided to play it safe with the scoring sensation.
“When you are dealing with back injuries, sometimes when you sit there for a little and you go through a flight and all that stuff, it stiffens up on you,” Lee said. “And so I think that he’s just trying to battle through some of that right now.”
Mann is the Hornets’ fourth-leading scorer, averaging 14.5 points per game. Against Cleveland, the bench produced just 19 points.
Minus Mann, Lee threw Vasa Micić into the reserve guard rotation. Micić hadn’t played in eight of the Hornets’ past nine games, with the lone exception Tuesday’s loss in Orlando because Mann was out. After seeing action in the season’s first three games, he’s been on the outside of the rotation looking in.
But he was effective against the Cavs, posting nine points and draining all but one of his 3-point attempts.
“The decision to go with Vasa, I felt like he could help us actually get into our stuff,” Lee said. “It was going to keep everybody in kind of a little bit of a comfort zone, in terms o f what their role could be. He could initiate the offense for us, he knows the sets really well. And I thought that he actually brought some great energy.
“He’s done a really good job of preparing himself and his mind and his body, he’s approached every day — even though he hasn’t been in the rotation — like a true professional. And I think that’s why he was able to come out, see it go in a little bit, make a couple of passes, play a little defense. So I’m always glad when guys put in the work.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2024 at 5:40 PM.
