The Charlotte Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic. It was the same ankle he underwent surgery on in March, causing him to miss the rest of the 2022-23 regular season.
Ball was hurt while making a driving layup over Magic’s Paolo Banchero. The 22-year-old player landed awkwardly, rolling his ankle and crashing to the floor. He was in obvious pain, needing help to get to the locker room.
The Hornets are optimistic that Ball only has an ankle sprain, although the full scope of injury will be known once he undergoes an MRI test.
LaMelo Ball has looked like a franchise star for the Hornets from the moment he was selected third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, injuries have been a major issue for the one-time All-Star so far in his NBA career. He missed a good chunk of his rookie season due to a wrist issue and problems with his ankle, which limited him to only 36 games in 2022-23.
Before the latest injury, Ball looked better than ever. He was averaging a career-high 25.9 points and 8.6 assists to go with 5.8 rebounds. He also increased his efficiency, shooting 44.2% from the floor and making 38.9% of his three-point attempts.
Despite Ball playing great, the Charlotte Hornets have continued with their disappointing performances. They are 5-10 and sit on No. 12 in the Eastern Conference and might just get worse if Ball misses significant time.
