Hornets star LaMelo Ball to miss the rest of the season
The Charlotte Hornets will be without star point guard LaMelo Ball for the remainder of the season due to two minor surgeries to his right ankle and wrist.
Ball had been playing through the injuries for the last few weeks, but doctors ruled that this was the recommended route for him to have an entire offseason to recover and prepare for next season.
It ends one of his most productive campaigns, which saw him finish with a career-high 25.2 points per game, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds on 40.5 percent shooting from the floor and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc in 47 games.
He became the first player in franchise history to average 25 points and seven assists in a season. He also set a team record with six games with at least 25 points and 10 assists.
Ball has struggled with injuries over the last three seasons, failing to play more than 50 games in any year. He underwent surgery on his right ankle in 2023, and this is the second straight season that the team has shut him down on March 28.
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His health issues have become persistent, but the organization remains fully committed to him as the franchise cornerstone. He is in the first year of his five-year, $203.8 million extension that doesn’t include any player or team options.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have yet to make a serious playoff push with him at the forefront, as their last postseason appearance occurred in 2016. Much change could lie ahead this upcoming offseason.
