The first two seasons of LaMelo Ball’s NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets were about as impressive as it gets from a young player making the leap to the professional level, especially considering the route he took to become an NBA player by playing overseas before getting drafted in 2020.
Ball became an NBA star right out of the gate while providing some much-needed hope for the future in Charlotte, as he went on to beat out Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves for NBA Rookie of the Year.
In his second season with the Hornets, Ball became an NBA All-Star, an impressive feat for a player on a team that has notoriously struggled with young players.
Unfortunately, that’s when the injuries started to pile up for Ball and his NBA career began to head in the wrong direction, which is something that also happened to his older brother Lonzo Ball, who had been battling significant injuries ever since joining the Chicago Bulls.
Although Lonzo Ball has had knee issues, LaMelo Ball has been dealing with ankle problems, which has led to only 58 games being played over the last two seasons, but he hopes to change that by wearing ankle braces next season, according to Evan Sidery of Forbes.
For the first time in his career, LaMelo Ball plans to wear ankle braces next season.
Ball originally planned to wear them in 2023-24, but never felt comfortable with it before suffering another season-ending ankle injury.
Charlotte has extremely high hopes for Ball staying… pic.twitter.com/62wmCUQaR7
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) August 14, 2024
If LaMelo Ball can figure out a way to remain healthy and productive in Charlotte moving forward, the Hornets might be able to get something going, as the team was able to bring in another young star in Brandon Miller last season.
Miller and LaMelo Ball could become a dynamic one-two punch for the Hornets, meaning Charlotte might become a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference in the near future.
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Former Hornets Player Is Signing Contract To Play Overseas