Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball to have surgery, done for the rest of the season
There’s another name to add to the Charlotte Hornets’ injury woes, and it’s a big one.
Star guard LaMelo Ball will have surgery and is done for the season, the team announced Friday. Ball, who was initially listed as out for Friday night’s game in Toronto against the Raptors after playing in Tuesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, is undergoing surgery to take care of nagging wrist and ankle injuries.
An arthroscopic procedure will address right ankle impingement and he’ll also have his right wrist taken care of as well in a separate procedure. The Hornets’ latest rough injury blow comes weeks after losing rising star Brandon Miller for the season due to surgery on his right wrist.
“Obviously, disappointing news to lose him,” coach Charles Lee said prior to the Hornets’ 108-97 loss to Toronto at Scotiabank Arena. “That type of player, I think that what he’s been able to accomplish this season, he set a tone as one of the leaders of our team, in terms of just trying to be available. He’s been battling through a ton and the fact that he’s kind of had this warrior mentality to try to show up every night …
“I think he’s played more games than he has the last couple of years, he’s been available for longer stretches throughout this season. So, proud of him for that. Unfortunate to lose him. But I know he’s going to attack his rehab with a great mindset.”
Ankle woes have plagued Ball for the better part of the past few months, leading to him being in and out of the lineup and rarely participating in games on consecutive nights. The Hornets re-classified his injury designation status prior to their matchup with the Raptors, instead indicating he was dealing with a right ankle impingement.
Prior to that, the designation was right ankle management.
The Hornets (18-55) say Ball is expected to make a full recovery and it won’t affect him putting in a full workload. He’s supposed to return to basketball activities within the next four to six weeks.
“Kind of like a blessing in disguise, or the good side of things, is that they are minor procedures with short timelines and so hopefully he’s got a great offseason,” Lee said. “I know it’s a testament to him already, and the performance staff, and everyone that works with him to make sure that he kind of attacks this offseason with the right mindset and approach to just keep getting better.”
In the first season of a maximum rookie contract extension that tops out at more than $200 million, finishing the season prematurely puts Ball at 233 career games since getting selected third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Problems with his wrist and both ankles have sidelined the Hornets’ franchise player frequently, and the team isn’t the same without him.
He averaged a team-best 25.2 points to go along with 7.4 assists and six rebounds per game, and is one of 10 NBA players averaging 25 points and five assists this season. Ball also has been key in the fourth quarter when healthy and the team is competitive and within striking distance late, leading the NBA in fourth quarter points (7.8) and also ranking fourth in field goals (2.6), second in assists (2.1) and second in 3-pointers (1.1).
Overall, Charlotte’s net rating improves by 8.7 points with the 23-year-old on the floor. But those numbers won’t be changing now that he’s on the shelf for the final weeks of another disappointing Hornets season that will end without a playoff berth, extending the NBA’s longest current drought.
“I think that his overall competitiveness is probably underrated, his ability to make everyone around him better,” Lee said. “With his overall spirit, he comes to work every day with a great mindset, a workman’s-like mindset and he brings joy to our gym. And we talk a ton about just competitive joy and enjoying the process of a long NBA season and everything that goes into it. And he loves the game.
“He loves his teammates, he loves everyone around him and I think it shows in the game. His ability to just make everyone around him better, just defensively when he’s engaged … it just becomes contagious with our whole team at that point. His ability to lead defensively and even offensively, sharing the ball, trusting his teammates. He gives those guys even more confidence with the way he plays.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 5:10 PM.
