<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-how-lamelo-ball-inspired-miles-bridges-calling-out-bum-play');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Hornets’ LaMelo Ball inspired Miles Bridges by calling out ‘bum’ play');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ball-and-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Hornets’ LaMelo Ball inspired Miles Bridges by calling out ‘bum’ play</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T14:22:43-07:00">October 27th, 2:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T14:22:43-07:00">October 27th, 2:22pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s not often that an NBA team finds itself down by double figures at halftime and still ends up winning the game by 26 points, but that’s exactly what happened <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-brandon-miller-miss-wizards-game-injury">to the Charlotte Hornets</a> on Sunday evening when they improved to 2-1 with a road win against the Washington Wizards. It was another strong effort<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-has-perfect-response-favorite-part-11th-triple-double"> from point guard LaMelo Ball</a>, who recorded an impressive triple double of 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in the victory.</p><p>After the game, Hornets power forward Miles Bridges, who scored 22 in the game, spoke on how Ball <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article312549473.html" rel="noopener">motivated him to play better</a> when the team had been falling behind.</p><p>“(Shoot), it was really Melo,” Bridges said, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Melo came in, gave me an ear full. I didn’t come out ready to play, so I’m not used to Melo doing that. “He told me, ‘Lock in. Lock in, play like I usually play. I’m playing like a (bum) right now. He turned it up and everybody else turned up. We go as the head of the snake go. So, if he’s leading like that, with that type of passion, people are going to listen to him.”</p><p>Ball has indeed turned into much more of a vocal leader throughout his time as the Hornets point guard.</p><h2><b>An intriguing Hornets team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/harlotte-Hornets-guard-LaMelo-Ball-1-dribbles-past-Washington-Wizards-forward-Corey-Kispert-24.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Charlotte Hornets have been mired in NBA purgatory for a decade now since their last playoff appearance all the way back in 2016, but the team is hoping that this year, they’ll be able to turn things around.</p><p>Ball looks to be playing the best basketball of his career to open up this season, and the Hornets also have some intriguing young players on the wing, such as Brandon Miller, as well as rookie Kon Knueppel, who scored 20 in the win over Washington.</p><p>Overall, in a weakened Eastern Conference, it’s not hard to envision the Hornets hanging in there and competing for a spot in the playoffs in 2025-26. They’ll next take the floor on Tuesday evening on the road against the Miami Heat.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Hornets’ LaMelo Ball inspired Miles Bridges by calling out ‘bum’ play

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-has-perfect-response-favorite-part-11th-triple-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ LaMelo Ball has perfect response to favorite part of 11th triple-double');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lamelo-Ball_42e994.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ LaMelo Ball has perfect response to favorite part of 11th triple-double</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T21:01:41-07:00">October 26th, 9:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T21:03:28-07:00">October 26th, 9:03pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LaMelo Ball made his thoughts on his triple-double performance clear after the Charlotte <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-balls-game-losing-chuck-draws-painful-groan-announcer">Hornets’ 139-113 win over the Washington Wizards</a> on Sunday evening.</p><p>In 35 minutes of action, Ball filled up the stat sheet. He finished with a triple-double of 38 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, and three steals. He shot 13-of-25 from the field, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. It marked the 11th triple-double of his career, another example of his willingness to be active in multiple areas of the game.</p><p>Ball <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1982612143163036062" rel="noopener">reflected on the performance</a> after the game, via the broadcast. The reporter asked him about the favorite part of his display, only needing two words for his response.</p><p>“You had your 11th triple double today, 38 (points), 13 (rebounds), 13 (assists) and three steals. Which one of those stats means the most to you?” the reporter asked.</p><p>“The win. The win means the most,” Ball said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball (38p, 13a, 13r) recorded his 11th career triple-double tonight!</p><p>The only stat that mattered to him?</p><p>THE WIN 💯 <a href="https://t.co/iE23Z4V4k6">pic.twitter.com/iE23Z4V4k6</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1982612143163036062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How LaMelo Ball, Hornets played against Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/harlotte-Hornets-guard-LaMelo-Ball-1-dribbles-past-Washington-Wizards-forward-Corey-Kispert-24.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was an impressive performance for LaMelo Ball to have, leading the Hornets to their first road win of the season against the Wizards.</p><p>Washington originally had the momentum in the first half, leading 62-51 at halftime. However, the Hornets fired back by outscoring the hosts 88-51 in the last 24 minutes of regulation, securing the win in dominant fashion.</p><p>Perimeter shooting, rebounding and turnovers made the difference in this matchup. The Hornets won all three categories after making 15 3-pointers and grabbing 52 rebounds while limiting their turnovers to 11. It wasn’t the same for the Wizards, converting just 10 triples and securing 40 rebounds but turning the ball over 15 times.</p><p>Six players scored in double-digits for Charlotte, including Ball. Miles Bridges had a solid outing with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He shot 6-of-16 overall, including 1-of-7 from downtown, and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Collin Sexton came next with 20 points and three assists, Kon Knueppel had 20 points and six rebounds, Sion James put up 13 points and four assists, while Moussa Diabate provided 12 points and 10 rebounds.</p><p>The Hornets will look forward to their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Miami Heat on Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ LaMelo Ball has perfect response to favorite part of 11th triple-double

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-balls-game-losing-chuck-draws-painful-groan-announcer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s game-losing chuck draws painful groan from announcer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s game-losing chuck draws painful groan from announcer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T11:23:37-07:00">October 26th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T11:32:20-07:00">October 26th, 11:32am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets came painfully close to pulling off a much-needed win, but it all unraveled in the final moments, and LaMelo Ball was right in the middle of it. With just 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers were tied.</p><p>LaMelo had the ball at the top of the key and the chance to take the lead. But instead of running a play or driving to the basket, the All-Star guard stepped back for a deep 3-pointer that barely grazed the rim. The shot drew a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1oglbhn/lowlight_before_quentin_grimes_hit_the/" rel="noopener">painful groan</a> from the broadcast booth and left fans befuddled as the ball barely clanked off the front iron, a symbol of Charlotte’s frustrating night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball is so talented but you can’t be a winning player doing stuff like this. Just inexcusable. Poor Charlotte Hornets fans. <a href="https://t.co/AnkYI8Hq8i">pic.twitter.com/AnkYI8Hq8i</a></p><p>— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheah/status/1982268426937590100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Moments later, the 76ers made the Hornets pay for it. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-quentin-grimes-brings-house-down-breaks-hornets-heat-dagger-3">Quentin Grimes stepped into a clean look</a> from beyond the arc and drilled a decisive 3-pointer, erupting the crowd inside Xfinity Mobile Arena. The shot sealed a narrow but emotional victory for Philadelphia, leaving the Hornets to rue a late collapse and Ball’s questionable decision-making.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">QUENTIN. GRIMES.</p><p>HE GIVES THE SIXERS THE LEAD WITH 13.9 SECONDS LEFT 🚨</p><p>WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/rZkoYv1RLs">https://t.co/rZkoYv1RLs</a> <a href="https://t.co/qGjJwU6aoG">pic.twitter.com/qGjJwU6aoG</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1982267686991147422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p> </p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-chandler-parsons-reveals-lamelo-balls-harsh-nba-reality">It was a bitter ending for LaMelo,</a> who otherwise had a strong individual performance. He finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in 33 minutes, shooting 8-of-18 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3-point range. But his final miss overshadowed what could have been a statement night for the young star.</p><p>The Hornets received solid support from Miles Bridges (18 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, who went a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor for 14 points. However, Charlotte’s defensive lapses and poor late-game execution proved too costly.</p><p>After the loss, it’s clear the Hornets still need to find their composure in crunch-time situations. For LaMelo Ball, whose leadership and shot selection are constantly under scrutiny, this latest misfire adds another chapter to a growing narrative, one where talent alone isn’t enough to close games.</p><p>Charlotte will look to bounce back when it returns home for its next matchup, hoping to turn the star’s confidence into smarter, winning plays down the stretch.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s game-losing chuck draws painful groan from announcer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-chandler-parsons-reveals-lamelo-balls-harsh-nba-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'Chandler Parsons reveals LaMelo Ball’s harsh NBA reality');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Chandler Parsons reveals LaMelo Ball’s harsh NBA reality</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T11:33:25-07:00">October 24th, 11:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T11:33:25-07:00">October 24th, 11:33am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-kon-knueppel-potluck-claim-charlotte-136-point-explosion">Charlotte Hornets are aiming to reach the playoffs</a> for the first time since the 2015-16 season. All eyes are on LaMelo Ball to lead a young roster to a successful season, as the front office has acquired several intriguing long-term options over the past several years. However, former NBA player turned analyst Chandler Parsons dropped a not-so-desirable take about Ball and his team.</p><p>In the latest episode of “Run it Back,” brought to you by FanDuel, Parsons claims that Ball, who is 24 years old, is ultimately a fun player to watch in the league. However, Parsons doesn’t believe that LaMelo Ball <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981760490734059946" rel="noopener">is a top-five point guard</a> in the NBA and doesn’t see the Hornets having a successful year.</p><p>“And a guy like him won’t ever fully get the flowers he deserves until he wins,” said Parsons about Ball. “And [the Hornets are] nowhere near winning. That’s the problem… He is must watch TV, and no one’s watching. It’s the Charlotte Hornets’ problem… But he’s not a top-five point guard, and they’re gonna be a bottom-five team. So, it’s hard to get the accolades and respect you want when you’re not winning games consistently.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“[LaMelo] is not a top-5 point guard and [The Hornets] are gonna be a bottom-5 team." </p><p>Chandler Parsons on LaMelo Ball and Charlotte 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a> )<a href="https://t.co/EtLYjAf7bD">pic.twitter.com/EtLYjAf7bD</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981760490734059946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>LaMelo Ball is in his sixth season in the league and hasn’t had the opportunity to participate in the playoffs yet. He’s been a bright spot on the team, though, as he is averaging 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game throughout his career. He also owns a career 42.1% field goal percentage while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc.</p><p>Although Chandler Parsons just doesn’t see it in the Hornets right now, Charlotte does have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. As Parsons pointed out, Ball is a thrilling player to watch and has a knack for stuffing the stat sheet. If guys like Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges step up, while rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner flash potential, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-did-charlotte-strike-gold-1-2-rookie-punch">Hornets could certainly make some noise</a> in the back half of the season.</p><p>After earning a 136-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets in the season opener, LaMelo Ball and the Hornets are set to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers. That game tips off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chandler Parsons reveals LaMelo Ball’s harsh NBA reality

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-lamelo-ball-is-in-perfect-position-for-massive-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Hornets’ LaMelo Ball is in perfect position for massive season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Hornets’ LaMelo Ball is in perfect position for massive season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-18T11:47:56-07:00">October 18th, 11:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-18T11:47:56-07:00">October 18th, 11:47am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-charlotte-waives-spencer-dinwiddie-3-months-after-signing-him">Charlotte Hornets prepare to open the 2025‑26 NBA season</a>, guard LaMelo Ball appears to be entering the perfect alignment of personal growth and team context to deliver a breakout campaign.</p><p>Ball, now 24, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630163" rel="noopener">posted solid numbers</a> during the Hornets’ five‑game preseason slate: 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 54.5 % from the field and 46.9 % from three across four contests playing 22.7 minutes.</p><p>By comparison, during the 2024‑25 preseason he averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and one block per game while shooting 38 % from the field and 41.7 % from three across four games playing about 21 minutes.<br>Those marked gains point to improved efficiency and decision‑making, as well as a heightened confidence in his role.</p><p>During the 2024‑25 regular season Ball delivered what remains his best statistical showing: 25.2 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, along with 1.1 steals, while shooting 40.5 % from the field and 33.9 % from three in 47 games averaging 32 minutes per contest.<br>Those numbers confirm the Hornets’ reliance on Ball as their offensive core.</p><p>But the supporting context has shifted materially. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-collin-sexton-trade-charlotte">Hornets added veteran guard Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz</a> in return for center Jusuf  Nurkic and a 2030 second‑round pick — a move that suggests a desire to bolster back‑court scoring and relieve some ball‑handling pressure. Meanwhile, rookie forward Kon Knueppel (No. 4 overall pick) joins rising wing Brandon Miller, and healthy Miles Bridges returns fully available. That combination gives Ball a deeper cast and added flexibility to operate within a more potent system.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball had an EFFICIENT preseason:</p><p>15.3 PPG<br>60.7 FG%<br>55.0 3P%<br>21.0 MPG<a href="https://twitter.com/MELOD1P?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELOD1P</a> and the Hornets open their season 10/22 vs. Brooklyn on NBA League Pass! <a href="https://t.co/TPa9f65hL5">pic.twitter.com/TPa9f65hL5</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1979607222834298942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Hornets surround LaMelo Ball with healthy core and upgraded supporting cast ahead of 2025-26</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Brandon-Miller-shares-main-thing-amid-glaring-issue-involving-LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In addition, Charlotte enters the season healthier and more stable than it has in recent years. The franchise, which struggled through a 19‑63 record last season, finally fields a roster with fewer injury‑related caveats and greater upside. With Ball’s preseason surge and the roster upgrades, the Hornets may be poised for their best season since the 2021‑22 campaign, when they won 43 games and advanced to the Play‑In Tournament.</p><p>Ball’s effectiveness will be amplified if the Hornets’ supporting pieces take the next step. The addition of Sexton offers an experienced scoring punch; Knueppel supplies shooting and versatile offense; Miller and Bridges provide dual‑threat scoring and positional versatility. If these pieces mesh, Ball’s playmaking and scoring could elevate the team’s ceiling significantly.</p><p>Moreover, the improved efficiency in Ball’s preseason — especially his shooting percentages — hints at a refined offensive game. The step from 38 % to 54.5 % in a limited sample should be taken with caution, but it signals progress toward greater shot selection and execution.</p><p>The Hornets concluded their preseason with a 2‑3 record after a 113‑108 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday.</p><p>While preseason records hold little predictive weight, the competitive track and Ball’s form offer encouraging signals.</p><p>Charlotte opens its regular season on Wednesday when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets at 7:00 p.m. ET. With Ball entering at the top of his game and the roster better equipped around him, the Hornets appear to be in the right position for a potentially massive season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Hornets’ LaMelo Ball is in perfect position for massive season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-fans-lamelo-ball-nutmeg-sequence-grizzlies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fans can’t believe LaMelo Ball nutmeg sequence vs. Grizzlies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0218.jpeg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Fans can’t believe LaMelo Ball nutmeg sequence vs. Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-15T19:25:08-07:00">October 15th, 7:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-15T19:25:08-07:00">October 15th, 7:25pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets have the potential to be one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA this season regardless of how many games they win. The Hornets’ preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday was filled with highlight reel plays including a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-miles-bridges-dunk-lamelo-ball-lob">LaMelo Ball lob to Miles Bridges on the break</a>. LaMelo Ball also had a nutmeg sequence <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1978633644429156448" rel="noopener">later in the game</a> that had fans up out of their seats.</p><p>The nutmeg came in the fourth quarter for the Hornets’ preseason game against the Grizzlies as LaMelo Ball passed the ball to himself through Jock Landale’s legs and again without taking a single dribble, threw another lob, this time to Brandon Miller, for the dunk.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-advice-baron-davis">Ball has emerged as one of the most gifted passers and playmakers</a> in the NBA, and his two highlights from the Hornets’ preseason game on Wednesday was further proof of that. Ball is one of the best point guards in the NBA, the only issue he’s had the past couple of seasons is staying healthy.</p><p>This past year, Ball was limited to only 47 games, after playing only 22 and 36 during the two seasons prior. He averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The 2021-22 Rookie of the Year, Ball has been a borderline All-Star talent, and probably would have more than his one appearance if he was able to remain healthy.</p><p>The Hornets will need Ball healthy if they hope to break their streak of consecutive seasons missing the playoffs. The last time the Hornets made the postseason was back in 2015-16 when they were eliminated in the opening round. The Hornets did post a winning record though in 2021-22, Ball’s All-Star season, but did not qualify for the playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fans can’t believe LaMelo Ball nutmeg sequence vs. Grizzlies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-miles-bridges-dunk-lamelo-ball-lob');   ga('set', 'title', 'Miles Bridges throws down dunk after textbook LaMelo Ball lob');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0217.jpeg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Miles Bridges throws down dunk after textbook LaMelo Ball lob</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-15T18:45:54-07:00">October 15th, 6:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-15T18:45:54-07:00">October 15th, 6:45pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">Charlotte Hornets are a team that has an intriguing mix</a> of young talent and veterans coming into the 2025-26 season. And if the Hornets want to be successful this year, they are going to need big seasons from both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, who <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1978623882576740825" rel="noopener">connected on a lob pass</a> from Ball leading to a Bridges dunk during the Hornets’ preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball with the HIGHLIGHT lob to Miles Bridges for the dunk 🤯</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/lJKSsbncwc">pic.twitter.com/lJKSsbncwc</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1978623882576740825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The play unfolded when the Hornets came up with a turnover during the third quarter. Miles Bridges raced ahead and threw a pass to LaMelo Ball, who promptly threw a lob to Bridges without taking a single dribble, resulting in a thunderous dunk. When the play occurred, the Hornets were up double digits against the Grizzlies in preseason action.</p><p>Despite his injury issues over the years, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-grant-williams-gushes-over-lamelo-ball-offseason-work">Ball has been an elite point guard</a> when he’s been on the court. Playing off him benefits everyone around him, as it has Bridges the past couple of seasons. Bridges has put up three straight seasons of averaging 20+ points per game while playing with Ball.</p><p>This past season, Bridges appeared in 64 games for the Hornets at a little over 31 minutes per game. He averaged 20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists with splits of 43.1 percent shooting from the field, 31.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>In 2023-24, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, and in 2021-22 he averaged 20.2 points. He did not play during the 2022-23 season amid ongoing domestic violence charges.</p><p>Last season, Ball was limited to only 47 games for the Hornets, at just about 32 minutes per game. He averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The Hornets have not reached the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, and if they want to get to the postseason this year, they’ll need similar play from the duo of Ball and Bridges.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Miles Bridges throws down dunk after textbook LaMelo Ball lob

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-lamelo-ball-viewed-as-losing-franchise-player-around-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Hornets-star-LaMelo-Ball-vs-Mavericks-in-NBA-Preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T09:56:28-07:00">October 14th, 9:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T09:56:28-07:00">October 14th, 9:56am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LaMelo <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-grant-williams-gushes-over-lamelo-ball-offseason-work">Ball continues to earn praise from teammates for his work ethic and character</a>, yet across the NBA, rumors and skepticism continues to grow around the Charlotte Hornets star. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, several league insiders question <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-advice-baron-davis">whether LaMelo Ball can truly anchor a winning franchise</a>. The <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25260160-lamelo-ball-reportedly-isnt-seen-face-winning-franchise-nba-insiders" rel="noopener">conversation surfaced</a> on The Hoop Collective podcast. There, MacMahon, Brian Windhorst, and Tim Bontemps broke down Charlotte’s young core: Ball, Brandon Miller, and 2025 first-round pick Kon Knueppel.</p><p>“LaMelo Ball’s a mega-talent, who I just don’t think can be the face of a winning franchise,” MacMahon said. “And by the way, that’s not considered a controversial opinion when you talk to people within the league.” His statement echoed what some executives have whispered for months. Talent alone isn’t enough without leadership, defense, and availability.</p><p>Ball’s inconsistency has only fueled the debate. Over the past three seasons, the 6’7” playmaker has appeared in just 105 games. That’s a concerning number for someone earning more than $40 million per year. When he’s on the court, questions persist about his decision-making and defensive commitment. Despite shooting just 33.9 percent from deep, Ball still attempted more than 11 threes per game last season. Many of those came early in the shot clock.</p><p>While LaMelo Ball remains one of the league’s most creative passers and flashiest guards, his highlight reels haven’t translated to consistent winning. The Hornets have yet to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement since his arrival. That leaves many wondering whether his style fits a long-term contender. Even MacMahon’s co-hosts admitted that Charlotte’s problems extend beyond Ball. Still, they agreed that franchise players must elevate those around them.</p><p>Charlotte’s playoff drought is entering another painful year, and patience within the organization may not last forever. For the Hornets, the challenge is simple yet urgent. Can LaMelo Ball’s immense talent evolve into leadership and the Hornets winning habits? Or will the NBA rumors about his ability to lead a winning team soon become reality?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-lonzo-ball-lamelo-ball-showdown-rivalry-week-treatment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Lonzo Ball vs. LaMelo Ball showdown gets Rivalry Week treatment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cavs-Lonzo-Ball-Hornets-LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Lonzo Ball vs. LaMelo Ball showdown gets Rivalry Week treatment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T15:35:37-07:00">August 14th, 3:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T15:36:53-07:00">August 14th, 3:36pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavs veteran Lonzo Ball will face his brother LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets as part of the NBA’s Rivalry Week in 2025-26. After <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-showdown-knicks-tips-off-espn-nba-opening-week-schedule">the Cavs’ season opener on October 23</a>, the Balls brothers’ Cavs and Hornets matchup will be featured amid a four-day doubleheader starting on January 20 and ending with a tripleheader on January 24. The New York Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers.</p><p>Then, the Golden State Warriors will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks, which will be headlined by Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. LaMelo Ball and the Hornets will host Lonzo and the Cavs on January 21 <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1956074122611691766" rel="noopener">amid Rivalry Week</a>.</p><p>NBA Rivals Week: Jan. 20-24: Spurs at Rockets – Jan. 20 Lakers at Nuggets – Jan. 20 Cavs at Hornets – Jan. 21 Thunder at Bucks – Jan. 21 Warriors at Mavs – Jan. 22 Lakers at Clippers – Jan. 22 Rockets at Pistons – Jan. 23 Pacers at Thunder – Jan. 23 Knicks at 76ers – Jan. 24 Warriors at Timberwolves – Jan. 24 Lakers at Mavericks – Jan. 24.</p><p>The Cavs acquired Ball in exchange for Isaac Okoro from the Chicago Bulls. In another injury-riddled season for the veteran guard, Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35 games last season. After undergoing a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in 2023, Ball suffered a right wrist sprain.</p><p>However, Ball is confident that 2025-26 <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/lonzo-ball-excited-fresh-start-cleveland-cavaliers" rel="noopener">will be his bounce-back season</a> after playing in only 70 games thoughout the past two seasons, per NBA.com.</p><p>“I think it’s a great situation for my play style,” Ball said. “[Donovan Mitchell] is one of the best players we have in the league. And they have two bigs that are mobile, can set pick-and-rolls and get to the rim like that. And then do some switching on defense. I think we can do a lot of different things on both sides of the ball, and to have the option to be able to do those things is great.”</p><h2><b>Lonzo Ball’s Cavs workout management schedule revealed</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cavs-Lonzo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cavs veteran <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavaliers-lonzo-ball-workload-management-schedule">Lonzo Ball will have a unique management schedule</a> next season. Due to his injury history, the Cavs will tread lightly with Ball, in hopes of having him available amid a potential deep playoff run.</p><p>Ball will not be playing on back-to-backs, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/533CSeuiEK6Yun8I45mM50" rel="noopener">revealed</a> via the Wine and Gold Podcast.</p><p>“I know that the Cavs are having conversations as an organization about no back-to-backs for Lonzo Ball,” Fedor said. “If it’s three games in four nights, be cognizant of that when it comes to Lonzo. If it’s five in seven, be cognizant of that when it comes to Lonzo.”</p><p>The Cavs will have 13 back-to-backs throughout the 2025-26 regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Lonzo Ball vs. LaMelo Ball showdown gets Rivalry Week treatment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-grant-williams-gushes-over-lamelo-ball-offseason-work');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Grant Williams gushes over LaMelo Ball’s offseason work');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Grant Williams gushes over LaMelo Ball’s offseason work</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-06T21:50:57-07:00">August 6th, 9:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-06T21:50:57-07:00">August 6th, 9:50pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s no doubt about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-culture-appears-to-finally-be-in-place">Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s elite-level talent</a>. The question has always been about his durability. But despite his injury-riddled career, Ball has never stopped trying to improve. Just ask Hornets forward Grant Williams.</p><p>Since being traded to Charlotte in 2024, Williams has witnessed Ball’s character and work ethic. The All-Star guard only played 47 games last season due to ankle and wrist injuries. While being constantly sidelined can be deeply frustrating for many, Williams said Ball has <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article311481720.html" rel="noopener">kept his head up</a>.</p><p>“He’s doing a lot of things that bring value. Not only his voice, but just his approach. He’s in there every single day. He’s there and present, and I think (he) is somebody we can look to and see, like, ‘He’s actually putting the work in every single day, not this person who is away from us and claims to be doing the work.’ No, he’s doing it every single day. He’s doing every single workout, he’s being available,” said Williams in a report from The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone.</p><p>The 23-year-old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-brandon-miller-main-thing-glaring-issue-lamelo-ball">Ball has only played 231 games in five seasons</a>, reaching at least 75 games only once. The Hornets will go as far as he can take them, but he needs to stay on the floor.</p><p>For the 26-year-old Williams, Ball is on the right path, especially in taking on the role of being the team’s cornerstone.</p><p>“Not only just from a like, ‘Hey, let’s go do this.’ If maybe we do a mini-camp, ‘Let’s organize this, I’ll take care of these guys, I’ll do this.’ So, he’s being very, very welcoming in a sense of (being) a leader and understanding that he’s going to have to take it to a more mature step in his role in order for us to be the best team possible,” added Williams, who was limited to just 16 games last season due to multiple knee injuries.</p><p>The Hornets haven’t been to the playoffs for the past nine seasons, the longest active drought in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Grant Williams gushes over LaMelo Ball’s offseason work

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/puma-announces-release-date-lamelo-ball-5th-signature-shoe');   ga('set', 'title', 'Puma announces release date, price of LaMelo Ball’s 5th signature shoe');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Lamelo-Ball-Puma.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Puma announces release date, price of LaMelo Ball’s 5th signature shoe</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-04T13:12:02-07:00">August 4th, 1:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-04T13:12:02-07:00">August 4th, 1:12pm</time><address><a>Jerry Donatien</a>Jerry Donatien has worked for ClutchPoints since 2018. He is currently the company's Charlotte Hornets reporter, and he also does voiceovers on different sports stories. He worked the NBA All-Star weekend in 2019 and 2023, the NCAA woman's tournament, and he interned with Beasley Media group.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>PUMA announced the release of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lamelo-ball-unveils-newest-signature-shoe-the-puma-mb-05">Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s fifth signature shoe</a> with their brand, the MB.05 World Tour. “Inspired by Ball’s rockstar status on and off the court,” PUMA said when announcing the <a href="https://x.com/JerryDonatien/status/1952426108869116226">end-of-August release</a>.</p><p>“Available in fluorescent pink with iridescent detailing throughout, including barbed wire as a nod to his iconic tattoos, this sneaker was made to stand out. Additional design features include a molded skull and a ‘1’ in the outsole, a nod to Ball’s one-of-one status. Finished with NITROFOAM™ cushioning for unwavering court supremacy, this shoe is a slam dunk with more bold colorways coming this fall.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today, PUMA Hoops announces LaMelo Ball's 5th signature shoe, MB.05 World Tour. It's inspired by his rockstar status on and off the court. The detailing throughout the shoe include barbed wire as a nod to his tattoos.</p><p>The MB.05 World Tour hits stores August 29th retailing for… <a href="https://t.co/m61mHXbxOy">pic.twitter.com/m61mHXbxOy</a></p><p>— Jerry Donatien (@JerryDonatien) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDonatien/status/1952426108869116226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“The MB.05 World Tour hits stores August 29th retailing for $125 at PUMA.com, the PUMA mobile app, the PUMA NYC Flagship store, Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, and other key retailers.”</p><p>This shoe release follows LaMelo Ball’s latest collaboration with PUMA and his own brand, “LaFrance,” which released a lifestyle shoe together. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/puma-lamelo-ball-announce-release-of-the-lafrance-rnr-flare-on-august-1st" rel="noopener">The LaFrancè RNR</a> is a mix of lifestyle running shoes, outdoor vibes, and Ball’s personal style. After a solid season in 2024-25, PUMA now rewards him with another signature shoe.</p><p>Ball is entering his sixth year with the Hornets and looking for a bounce-back season. After having it cut short due to injuries, the sneaker being named “World Tour” could be an auspicious premonition of what’s to come for his team. Ball can launch himself into the spotlight on the floor with his exciting play style, and he’ll be rocking the perfect shoes for it heading into the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Due to an injury, LaMelo Ball only played in 47 games in the 2024-25 season. When healthy, he’s proved he’s an offensive engine. He can score, create for others, and speed up the pace with the ball in his hands. He’s in the perfect position to prove he is capable of playing at an All-Star caliber level.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Puma announces release date, price of LaMelo Ball’s 5th signature shoe

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-brandon-miller-main-thing-glaring-issue-lamelo-ball');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ Brandon Miller shares ‘main thing’ amid glaring issue involving LaMelo Ball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Brandon-Miller-shares-main-thing-amid-glaring-issue-involving-LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ Brandon Miller shares ‘main thing’ amid glaring issue involving LaMelo Ball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-29T05:48:52-07:00">July 29th, 5:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-29T05:48:52-07:00">July 29th, 5:48am</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The last time the Charlotte Hornets won a series in the playoffs, LaMelo Ball was only a year old, while Brandon Miller wasn’t even born yet. The Hornets beat the Orlando Magic in the first round in 2002 before succumbing to the New Jersey Nets in the conference semifinals.</p><p>Since then, the franchise has only qualified for the playoffs thrice, all ending in the opening round. The Hornets have the longest active drought in the NBA as they have missed the postseason for nine straight seasons.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-brandon-millers-injury-update-will-hype-fans-up-2025-26-nba-season">Miller is eager to turn things around in Charlotte</a>. But after an impressive rookie year, he hurt his right wrist last season, limiting him to just 27 games. His backcourt mate, Ball, meanwhile, only played 27 games due to various injuries.</p><p>While they form a talented duo, their inability to stay on the floor together has become a concern. The 22-year-old Miller said he is <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-hornets/article311476077.html" rel="noopener">aware of the issue</a>.</p><p>“It’s always the main thing, you know, just keeping our bodies together. We know it’s a long season. Having us two on the floor can make a big difference (in having) a winning team,” said Miller in an interview with The Charlotte Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr.</p><p>The second overall pick in 2023, Miller played 74 games in his rookie campaign. Ball, however, only featured in 22 outings following an ankle surgery.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-tattoo-artist-admits-trolling-hot-chee-toes-post">Ball, who recently went viral over a tattoo joke</a>, has yet to regain the consistency that made him an All-Star in just his second year with the Hornets in 2022. It remains unclear if he will be ready before the new season.</p><p>Fortunately for Charlotte, which is coming from a 19-63 record, Miller is on the right track to recovery, saying his right wrist is “around 90-95%” ready.</p><p>“I started contact (drills). I’ll be ready the first day the season starts, and I’m just excited to get back out on the court with my guys,” added the Hornets guard, who averaged 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ Brandon Miller shares ‘main thing’ amid glaring issue involving LaMelo Ball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-tattoo-artist-admits-trolling-hot-chee-toes-post');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s tattoo artist admits to trolling with ‘Hot Chee Toes’ post');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LaMelo-Ball-in-action.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s tattoo artist admits to trolling with ‘Hot Chee Toes’ post</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-28T05:51:30-07:00">July 28th, 5:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-28T06:08:12-07:00">July 28th, 6:08am</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets recently made history by winning their first-ever title in the NBA Summer League, but somehow, it is the fiery <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-advice-baron-davis">story involving star LaMelo Ball</a> that has gotten more attention. In fact, it has been tattooed on everyone’s mind.</p><p>With that lame pun out of the way, a tattoo artist based in California posted a picture of Ball’s supposedly new ink. He called it “Hot Chee Toes” as a reference to the popular snack. It’s one of those things that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMnjUXlzwMl/?img_index=2&amp;igsh=MTd4b2M5OWo0dXR6cQ%3D%3D" rel="noopener">you need to see </a>to believe.</p><p>But sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, it wasn’t actually Ball’s foot. The Hornets guard’s tattoo artist, Elvis Ramos, came clean on Instagram and said <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMni-oTsjuw/" rel="noopener">they were just joking around</a>.</p><p>“We tattooed LaMelo Ball. But those ‘Hot Chee Toes,’ those were not on Melo. We were just trolling. The original artist is actually out of California also, but nah, we didn’t do that on Melo,” said Ramos in a video.</p><p>“We did do a leg sleeve on Melo. We will be posting that soon. But yeah, we were just trolling, man. The internet is crazy, bro.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lamelo <a href="https://twitter.com/MELOD1P?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELOD1P</a>  reveal lol. <br>–<br>Did he really get this fire hot chee toes?! <a href="https://t.co/e2hc4ie2H3">pic.twitter.com/e2hc4ie2H3</a></p><p>— inkEEZY (@iamELVIStattoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamELVIStattoo/status/1949706753328963661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Ramos regularly shares his work on the 23-year-old Ball on Instagram, where he has over 20,000 followers.</p><p>Unfortunately, many were fooled by his previous post and immediately clowned the Hornets star. But as the great Abraham Lincoln once said: Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.</p><p>With the new season approaching, fans of the Hornets can only hope that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-lamelo-ball-remains-committed-charlotte-trade-rumors">Ball can stay longer on the court</a> than at a tattoo shop. Due to a spate of injuries, he’s only played a total of 105 games in the last three seasons.</p><p>If he can stay healthy, he might regain his All-Star form and lead the Hornets, along with Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, and Kon Kneuppel. The team hasn’t been to the playoffs for nine straight years—the longest active drought in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s tattoo artist admits to trolling with ‘Hot Chee Toes’ post

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sneakers/lamelo-ball-unveils-newest-signature-shoe-the-puma-mb-05');   ga('set', 'title', 'LaMelo Ball unveils newest signature shoe, the PUMA MB.05');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LaMelo-Ball-unveils-newest-signature-shoe-the-PUMA-MB.05.jpg"></figure><h1>LaMelo Ball unveils newest signature shoe, the PUMA MB.05</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-15T13:44:13-07:00">July 15th, 1:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-15T13:44:59-07:00">July 15th, 1:44pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following a tough end to the 2024-25 NBA season, Charlotte Hornets All-Star Guard LaMelo Ball is anxiously waiting to return and prove himself once again on the biggest stage. He’s undoubtedly one of the more talented scorers in the game today and it will be interesting to see how this crop of incoming talent can enhance their roster. Recently, Ball promoted the debut of his latest signature sneaker, the PUMA MB.05, releasing soon.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>LaMelo Ball signed with PUMA Basketball back in 2020 in a surprising move, forgoing the route of Nike or Adidas and opting for full creative control of his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/lamelo-ball-puma-unveil-the-newest-puma-mb-04">signature line over at PUMA</a>. Already five signature basketball sneakers in, Ball is also releasing lifestyle and utility silhouettes through his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/puma-lamelo-ball-announce-release-of-the-lafrance-rnr-flare-on-august-1st">“LaFrance” subsidiary line</a>.</p><p>Sharing the newest signature model on his social media, LaMelo Ball will rock the newest PUMA MB.05 during the upcoming NBA season. The first colorway, appearing in a vibrant pink, is a perfect combo for the Hornets’ uniforms and Ball’s loud play on the court.</p><h2>PUMA MB.05</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball revealed his upcoming fifth signature shoe, the PUMA MB.05 🕺 <a href="https://twitter.com/MELOD1P?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELOD1P</a> <a href="https://t.co/iz208xaf6W">pic.twitter.com/iz208xaf6W</a></p><p>— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicekicks/status/1944089942864355713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Official Images: Lamelo Ball x PUMA MB.05 🦋</p><p>See More: <a href="https://t.co/999LdEXxIK">https://t.co/999LdEXxIK</a> <a href="https://t.co/t1cN5qRNnY">pic.twitter.com/t1cN5qRNnY</a></p><p>— House of Heat° (@houseofheat) <a href="https://twitter.com/houseofheat/status/1944509695827353810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The debut colorway, arriving in pink and reflective pearl hues, is a wild culmination of Ball’s signature line up to this point. We see intricate textures throughout each aspect of the uppers, from the feathery toebox to the metallic ankle collar. The shoes will also feature a dual midfoot strap attached to the front of the eyelet panel, a truly unique feature that isn’t seen anywhere else.</p></figure><p>The shoes also feature Ball’s “1” and “1 of 1” written several times throughout the shoe. The silver synthetic panels have a natural sheen to them, adding to the already busy ensemble of the pink panels. Finally, we see the “Melo” logos along the back heel to finish the look.</p><p>The PUMA MB.05 is expected to release sometime during the fall season of 2025. While there’s no official word on a release date, LaMelo Ball teasing these to the public is a positive sign that they’re ready to drop. The retail price is yet to be announced, but we can expect something in the ballpark of $120 given the previous MB.04 retails for $115.</p><p>What are your thoughts on LaMelo Ball’s newest sneakers?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LaMelo Ball unveils newest signature shoe, the PUMA MB.05

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-advice-baron-davis');   ga('set', 'title', 'LaMelo Ball gets major advice from Baron Davis');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LaMelo Ball gets major advice from Baron Davis</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-14T19:25:26-07:00">July 14th, 7:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-14T19:25:26-07:00">July 14th, 7:25pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to the top point guards in the NBA, one name that probably doesn’t get a lot of traction is Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball. Numbers-wise, Ball has been on par with the best guards in the league, there’s only been a couple of problems. One, the Hornets have not had much regular season success, and two, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-undergoes-multiple-season-ending-injury-procedures">Ball has missed a lot of time due to injury</a>. But to get his name firmly in that conversation next season, LaMelo Ball got a little advice from a former Hornets star in Baron Davis.</p><p>During a recent appearance on Paul George’s podcast, ‘Podcast P with Paul George,’ presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, Baron Davis <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1944932165365719378?t=HPztiFffOAcXKFtuUU8llw&amp;s=19" rel="noopener">laid out his advice</a> to Ball coming into the 2025-26 season.</p><p>“LaMelo needs to have a goal going into the season. ‘I’m gonna be the top point guard coming out at the end of the season, I’m gonna play 82 games or whatnot, and I’m gonna get my team to the playoffs,’” Davis said. “LaMelo needs stability around him. When you’re trying to win, you got to have some people that stabilize the consistency every day.”</p><p>“I think they don’t have, to me, the right mix of veterans, good players and young talented players that have the ability to over-index,” Davis continued. “And that’s why it’s hard for somebody as talented as LaMelo, because what is his direction?”</p><p>The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball has played five seasons to this point and was selected to the 2022 NBA All-Star team. Not coincidently, Ball’s All-Star season was the last time the Hornets had a winning record. That season was also the most amount of games he’s played in at 75. Since 2021-22, he has not cracked over 47 games in a single season.</p><p>This past season, Ball appeared in 47 games at just about 32 minutes per game. He averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line. His points per game was actually a career-high.</p><p>Both Davis and George brought up valid points in that it’s a combination of Ball’s on-court focus and the Hornets’ team building that’s played a role in how the outside world’s opinion of him has been shaped. The Hornets did bring in a couple of solid veterans in Mason Plumlee, Spencer Dinwiddie and Pat Connaughton, and they added an explosive option alongside Ball in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/hornets-news-charlotte-acquires-collin-sexton-jazz-jusuf-nurkic">trading for Collin Sexton</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
28.3	8.3	9.7	0.3	2.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
28.3	8.3	9.7	0.3	2.0

LaMelo Ball news

LaMelo
Ball news