The Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball returned to the court for Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously missing 20 games due to a right ankle sprain.

Ball put up a stellar display, finishing the night with 28 points, three rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for the Hornets to avoid a 135-99 defeat, which stretched their loss streak to four games.

“It’s always good to play basketball, but not like that,” Ball said after the game. “But it was cool to get back out there.”

Ball initially went down in the November 28 game against the Orlando Magic. He sprained his right ankle, the same one he underwent surgery on that caused him to end the 2022-23 campaign early.

When healthy, Ball played on an All-Star level this season. In 16 games, he has averaged a career-high 24.9 points to go with 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.6 steals. The 22-year-old is also shooting a career-best 43.9% from the floor.

The Hornets will hope that Ball’s return can finally get them playing more consistently. Charlotte lost 17 out of 20 games that Ball missed and is currently sitting at No. 13 in the Eastern Conference with an 8-28 record.

The post Hornets Star LaMelo Ball Returns Against the Spurs After Missing 20 Games appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets star LeMelo Ball is set to be sidelined for several weeks after incurring a right ankle sprain, head coach Steve Clifford confirmed. Clifford admitted that Ball’s setback is a “frustrating” one given that the guard was set to be a crucial part of the team’s starting lineup going forward.

“Obviously it’s frustrating,” Clifford commented. “The other night was the first time we went into a game for two years where that was the projected starting lineup — basically, that it was the team that I thought I would coach. And we got about a quarter and three minutes when he got hurt.”

Ball sprained his ankle early during the second quarter of Charlotte’s 130-117 loss to the Orlando Magic when he landed hard on his ankle while attempting a drive. A more definitive recovery timeline for the Hornets star is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Out With Ankle Sprain appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LeMelo Ball confirmed on Monday that he is hoping to return from injury in time for the team’s training camp this coming summer. Ball has been sidelined on multiple occasions this season, limited to just 36 games due to his right ankle fracture. So far, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of wearing ankle braces as he eases back into the game.

“It’s tough,” Ball reflected. “I mean probably annoying just going through it, but I’m still alive and stuff like that, so you can’t really be too mad. Just go through the rehab, do that whole process and try to come out on top.”

After struggling to find his form following several setbacks resulting from his injury, Ball underwent season-ending surgery on his broken right ankle on March 1.

Prior to his setback, Ball proved to be one of the Hornets’ standout stars, averaging career highs in points (23.3) and assists (8.3) per game last season while becoming the second-youngest player to score 1,000 points, assists and rebounds in NBA history behind LeBron James.

The post LaMelo Ball Reveals Expected Recovery Timeline appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball missed his team’s 122-118 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday after suffering a sore left ankle and sore right knee, marking the latest in a slew of injury setbacks for the 21-year-old player.

Ball missed the first 13 games of the season after spraining the same ankle that kept him out of Saturday’s game. Upon recovering, Ball appeared in three consecutive games before spraining it yet again, this time due to stepping on a fan’s foot. This second ankle sprain saw Ball ruling himself out of a further 11 games.

“Obviously, Melo is our star player,” Hornets guard Terry Rozier said. “We definitely need him. It’s definitely been our story all season, so we just try to work with what we’ve got and play the best basketball that we can.”

Lately, the Hornets have been struggling without their star man. After losing eight out of nine games, the Hornets won their last two successive games, however, they remain adrift in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The post Ball Misses Hornets Win Over Hawks Through Multiple-Injury Setback appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets’ talented point guard LaMelo Ball has played his last game in the 2020/21 NBA season, according to multiple reports. Ball, who was the runaway favorite for this year’s NBA Rookie of the Year Award, broke his wrist and will likely have to sit out the remainder of the campaign as a result.

The Hornets confirmed Ball’s injury on Sunday, revealing that the 19-year-old player is currently dealing with a fractured bone in the wrist of his shooting hand. He got hurt in a 125-98 loss to LA Clippers on Saturday, taking a hard fall after a layup attempt.

The Hornets won’t announce the end of LaMelo Ball’s rookie season just yet as the teenager has an appointment with a hand specialist later this week. Internally, however, the organization reportedly already made peace with losing Ball for the rest of 2020/21.

Ball, who was Charlotte’s No.3 pick in last year’s draft, has surprised everyone with his stellar performances in his rookie year. He has been averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game despite starting just 21 games.

Thanks to Ball, the Hornets managed to stay in the playoff contention and are currently sitting on No.8 in Eastern Conference. They also find themselves just 2.5 games behind the fourth seed.  

The post ROY Favorite LaMelo Ball to Miss the Remainder of the NBA Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Illawarra Hawks’ LaMelo Ball, who is in the conversation for the first overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft, won’t play for the remainder of the Australian NBL league. According to the player’s agent, Jermaine Jackson, Ball must sit per “doctor’s policy” due to bone bruise he suffered back in December despite being healthy.

“Melo’s foot is totally healed, but the doctor’s policy is if you’re out for six weeks, you must rehab for six weeks,” Jackson told ESPN. “He’s starting court work tomorrow.”

Ball, who is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball, opted to skip college and instead played as a pro in Australia this season. His stint with Hawks’ was off to a great start, as he averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game before going down with an injury.

While he won’t be able to finish the season, the majority of NBA analysts think that LaMelo Ball managed to show great things while on the court. While there were doubts about his game in the past, Ball now established himself as one of the top prospects in his class.

Many scouts view ball as the most talented player in the upcoming draft, but consider that his lack of defense might prevent him from being No.1 pick. The consensus is, however, that he’ll be among the top three players selected.

The post Potential No.1 Pick LaMelo Ball Out For the Rest of NBL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LaMelo Ball, the brother of Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Lonzo Ball, has decided to skip college and prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft overseas. During his appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Ball confirmed that he will play the upcoming season in Australia and that he agreed to a deal with Illawarra Hawks.

The news was also confirmed on the Hawks’ official social media profile.

“Having him in a Hawks jersey fits with the goal of cultivating the best young talent and making them great,” – said Illawarra owner Simon Stratford in a statement Tuesday. “It’s putting the club at the top of the list for future NBA stars.”

Ball is regarded as one of the top basketball prospects in the nation coming out of high school and is projected to be a high draft pick in 2020.

He is the second top U.S. prospect to go overseas, as guard R.J. Hampton decided to forgo his college eligibility and sign with the New Zealand Breakers last month. Hampton opted for the Breakers although he had offers from several top colleges in the nation including Kansas.

When asked about his motives to skip college and go to Australia, LaMelo Ball said that this move gives him a better opportunity to get prepared for the NBA.

“The NBL is a really solid league, with great coaches and players, and I am looking forward to putting all my focus and energy into basketball and getting to work,” – Ball added.

This won’t be the first professional basketball experience for Ball, as he played professionally with Lithuanian side Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas. He appeared in eight games during his time in Lithuania and averaged 6.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

The post LaMelo Ball Skips College, Will Play in Australia Prior to 2020 NBA Draft appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Just when you think that LaVar Ball, father of the Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, has got enough of the controversy and media attention, he goes on and makes another move. This time, LaVar decided that he will pull out his son LaMelo Ball from Chino Hills High School during his junior year. LaMelo will be homeschooled and trained by his father. Los Angeles Times’ Eric Sondheimer was the first one to broke the news.

Stunning news: LaVar Ball said he is pulling junior LaMelo from Chino Hills and will home-school him the next two years and train him.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) October 2, 2017

LaVar Ball shared the reasons for his decision while speaking with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, saying he doesn’t like the coaching at Chino Hills.

“I’m not dealing with the coach over there,” – Ball said to Shelburne. “I’m not dealing with the administration over there. I don’t want no distractions on Melo. So therefore I’m going to home school him and make him the best basketball player ever. It’s a new coach and I don’t like him one bit. He’s on track for UCLA, but he doesn’t have to be dealing with those knuckleheads. I’m not letting them mess with his head anymore. You can put that on the principal and the coach over there. That coach has his own frame of mind on how he wants to play and who he picks in the team. OK, y’all got all that going on, let’s see how you do without my tutelage. Without me training those players at my house. It seems like anyone who’s training over there that coach don’t want him in the team.“

Being the youngest of the Ball brothers, LaMelo already grabbed the headlines during his high school career by scoring 92 points vs Los Osos. His departure will surely impact the Chino Hills basketball team, who was ranked 4th in the nation. Alongside his brother LiAngelo, LaMelo led Chino Hills to a 30-3 record last season.

The post LaVar Ball Decides his Son LaMelo Ball Will be Homeschooled appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball returned to the court for Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs after previously missing 20 games due to a right ankle sprain.

Ball put up a stellar display, finishing the night with 28 points, three rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for the Hornets to avoid a 135-99 defeat, which stretched their loss streak to four games.

“It’s always good to play basketball, but not like that,” Ball said after the game. “But it was cool to get back out there.”

Ball initially went down in the November 28 game against the Orlando Magic. He sprained his right ankle, the same one he underwent surgery on that caused him to end the 2022-23 campaign early.

When healthy, Ball played on an All-Star level this season. In 16 games, he has averaged a career-high 24.9 points to go with 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.6 steals. The 22-year-old is also shooting a career-best 43.9% from the floor.

The Hornets will hope that Ball’s return can finally get them playing more consistently. Charlotte lost 17 out of 20 games that Ball missed and is currently sitting at No. 13 in the Eastern Conference with an 8-28 record.

The post Hornets Star LaMelo Ball Returns Against the Spurs After Missing 20 Games appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets star LeMelo Ball is set to be sidelined for several weeks after incurring a right ankle sprain, head coach Steve Clifford confirmed. Clifford admitted that Ball’s setback is a “frustrating” one given that the guard was set to be a crucial part of the team’s starting lineup going forward.

“Obviously it’s frustrating,” Clifford commented. “The other night was the first time we went into a game for two years where that was the projected starting lineup — basically, that it was the team that I thought I would coach. And we got about a quarter and three minutes when he got hurt.”

Ball sprained his ankle early during the second quarter of Charlotte’s 130-117 loss to the Orlando Magic when he landed hard on his ankle while attempting a drive. A more definitive recovery timeline for the Hornets star is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Out With Ankle Sprain appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LeMelo Ball confirmed on Monday that he is hoping to return from injury in time for the team’s training camp this coming summer. Ball has been sidelined on multiple occasions this season, limited to just 36 games due to his right ankle fracture. So far, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of wearing ankle braces as he eases back into the game.

“It’s tough,” Ball reflected. “I mean probably annoying just going through it, but I’m still alive and stuff like that, so you can’t really be too mad. Just go through the rehab, do that whole process and try to come out on top.”

After struggling to find his form following several setbacks resulting from his injury, Ball underwent season-ending surgery on his broken right ankle on March 1.

Prior to his setback, Ball proved to be one of the Hornets’ standout stars, averaging career highs in points (23.3) and assists (8.3) per game last season while becoming the second-youngest player to score 1,000 points, assists and rebounds in NBA history behind LeBron James.

The post LaMelo Ball Reveals Expected Recovery Timeline appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball missed his team’s 122-118 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday after suffering a sore left ankle and sore right knee, marking the latest in a slew of injury setbacks for the 21-year-old player.

Ball missed the first 13 games of the season after spraining the same ankle that kept him out of Saturday’s game. Upon recovering, Ball appeared in three consecutive games before spraining it yet again, this time due to stepping on a fan’s foot. This second ankle sprain saw Ball ruling himself out of a further 11 games.

“Obviously, Melo is our star player,” Hornets guard Terry Rozier said. “We definitely need him. It’s definitely been our story all season, so we just try to work with what we’ve got and play the best basketball that we can.”

Lately, the Hornets have been struggling without their star man. After losing eight out of nine games, the Hornets won their last two successive games, however, they remain adrift in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The post Ball Misses Hornets Win Over Hawks Through Multiple-Injury Setback appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Charlotte Hornets’ talented point guard LaMelo Ball has played his last game in the 2020/21 NBA season, according to multiple reports. Ball, who was the runaway favorite for this year’s NBA Rookie of the Year Award, broke his wrist and will likely have to sit out the remainder of the campaign as a result.

The Hornets confirmed Ball’s injury on Sunday, revealing that the 19-year-old player is currently dealing with a fractured bone in the wrist of his shooting hand. He got hurt in a 125-98 loss to LA Clippers on Saturday, taking a hard fall after a layup attempt.

The Hornets won’t announce the end of LaMelo Ball’s rookie season just yet as the teenager has an appointment with a hand specialist later this week. Internally, however, the organization reportedly already made peace with losing Ball for the rest of 2020/21.

Ball, who was Charlotte’s No.3 pick in last year’s draft, has surprised everyone with his stellar performances in his rookie year. He has been averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game despite starting just 21 games.

Thanks to Ball, the Hornets managed to stay in the playoff contention and are currently sitting on No.8 in Eastern Conference. They also find themselves just 2.5 games behind the fourth seed.  

The post ROY Favorite LaMelo Ball to Miss the Remainder of the NBA Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Illawarra Hawks’ LaMelo Ball, who is in the conversation for the first overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft, won’t play for the remainder of the Australian NBL league. According to the player’s agent, Jermaine Jackson, Ball must sit per “doctor’s policy” due to bone bruise he suffered back in December despite being healthy.

“Melo’s foot is totally healed, but the doctor’s policy is if you’re out for six weeks, you must rehab for six weeks,” Jackson told ESPN. “He’s starting court work tomorrow.”

Ball, who is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball, opted to skip college and instead played as a pro in Australia this season. His stint with Hawks’ was off to a great start, as he averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game before going down with an injury.

While he won’t be able to finish the season, the majority of NBA analysts think that LaMelo Ball managed to show great things while on the court. While there were doubts about his game in the past, Ball now established himself as one of the top prospects in his class.

Many scouts view ball as the most talented player in the upcoming draft, but consider that his lack of defense might prevent him from being No.1 pick. The consensus is, however, that he’ll be among the top three players selected.

The post Potential No.1 Pick LaMelo Ball Out For the Rest of NBL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LaMelo Ball, the brother of Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Lonzo Ball, has decided to skip college and prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft overseas. During his appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Ball confirmed that he will play the upcoming season in Australia and that he agreed to a deal with Illawarra Hawks.

The news was also confirmed on the Hawks’ official social media profile.

“Having him in a Hawks jersey fits with the goal of cultivating the best young talent and making them great,” – said Illawarra owner Simon Stratford in a statement Tuesday. “It’s putting the club at the top of the list for future NBA stars.”

Ball is regarded as one of the top basketball prospects in the nation coming out of high school and is projected to be a high draft pick in 2020.

He is the second top U.S. prospect to go overseas, as guard R.J. Hampton decided to forgo his college eligibility and sign with the New Zealand Breakers last month. Hampton opted for the Breakers although he had offers from several top colleges in the nation including Kansas.

When asked about his motives to skip college and go to Australia, LaMelo Ball said that this move gives him a better opportunity to get prepared for the NBA.

“The NBL is a really solid league, with great coaches and players, and I am looking forward to putting all my focus and energy into basketball and getting to work,” – Ball added.

This won’t be the first professional basketball experience for Ball, as he played professionally with Lithuanian side Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas. He appeared in eight games during his time in Lithuania and averaged 6.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

The post LaMelo Ball Skips College, Will Play in Australia Prior to 2020 NBA Draft appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Just when you think that LaVar Ball, father of the Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, has got enough of the controversy and media attention, he goes on and makes another move. This time, LaVar decided that he will pull out his son LaMelo Ball from Chino Hills High School during his junior year. LaMelo will be homeschooled and trained by his father. Los Angeles Times’ Eric Sondheimer was the first one to broke the news.

Stunning news: LaVar Ball said he is pulling junior LaMelo from Chino Hills and will home-school him the next two years and train him.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) October 2, 2017

LaVar Ball shared the reasons for his decision while speaking with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, saying he doesn’t like the coaching at Chino Hills.

“I’m not dealing with the coach over there,” – Ball said to Shelburne. “I’m not dealing with the administration over there. I don’t want no distractions on Melo. So therefore I’m going to home school him and make him the best basketball player ever. It’s a new coach and I don’t like him one bit. He’s on track for UCLA, but he doesn’t have to be dealing with those knuckleheads. I’m not letting them mess with his head anymore. You can put that on the principal and the coach over there. That coach has his own frame of mind on how he wants to play and who he picks in the team. OK, y’all got all that going on, let’s see how you do without my tutelage. Without me training those players at my house. It seems like anyone who’s training over there that coach don’t want him in the team.“

Being the youngest of the Ball brothers, LaMelo already grabbed the headlines during his high school career by scoring 92 points vs Los Osos. His departure will surely impact the Chino Hills basketball team, who was ranked 4th in the nation. Alongside his brother LiAngelo, LaMelo led Chino Hills to a 30-3 record last season.

The post LaVar Ball Decides his Son LaMelo Ball Will be Homeschooled appeared first on SportzBonanza.