LaMelo Ball is one of the Ball brothers to currently play in the NBA. He is LaVar Ball‘s son, who is an American businessman. Melo entered the NBA when the Charlotte Hornets drafted him at number 3 of the 2020 NBA Draft. Since then, the player has stayed loyal to the franchise.
LaMelo‘s rookie season was nothing short of brilliant. In 51 games, he averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds. His numbers helped him bag the Rookie Of The Year award. He continued to put in a shift for the Hornets and put up 20.1 points on average in the 2021-22 NBA season. The 2022-23 season was supposed to be a better outing for the player until fate and injuries intervened.
He had sprained his ankle and had to sit on the sidelines for the start of the season. For context, Ball missed the first 13 games of the current NBA season due to an injury he suffered during a preseason game. It seemed like the only way was up from then on, but that wasn’t the case for LaMelo.
How did LaMelo Ball get injured?
Last game, the Hornets played against the Indiana Pacers when Ball injured his ankle once again. He made his season debut against the Miami Heat, on November 13th. He put up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and assists each on the board after playing for 28 minutes.
The same was the case against the Pacers. It looked like LaMelo was slowly getting back to his old form, after he made 26 points on the night. However, the young player rolled his left ankle completely after stepping on a fan’s foot who was sitting courtside at the game.
LaMelo Ball rolls his ankles after stepping on a fan’s foot.
He had a game-high 26 PTS (5/8 3PT) & 6 AST pic.twitter.com/3I7OlcbYRV
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 17, 2022
It seemed like quite a serious injury, considering the fact that Ball left the game early and did not return to the arena afterward. There has been no update from the Hornets board as of now. However, unfortunately for Melo and Hornets fans, the 21-year-old is going through the same injury again that kept him away for 13 games.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets guard Dennis Smith Jr left the 1Q of tonight’s game against the Nets with a sprained left ankle and he will not return.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 5, 2022
According to ESPN, Ball is listed as day-to-day, which indicates his injury might not be as serious as compared to his previous one. Normally, when a player rolls or twists his ankle, it will cause some swelling in the area. And there is a high chance that is the case with Melo. He might be just out for a few games and the injury might not keep him away for a long period.