Nick Wright called Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball a clown. Here is how big man Moussa Diabate reacted to it.
During the 2026 play-in tournament, Nick Wright called Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball a clown.
Ball has also been called an unserious player by other pundits, but Hornets big man Moussa Diabate says there is no truth to those words.
It's evident that Diabate and Charlotte players enjoy playing with Ball and being around the talented playmaker. The Hornets don't care what people outside of the building say about Ball, who played really well during the 2025-26 regular season.
Ball played in 72 games for the Hornets this season. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 40.7% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 89.9% from the free-throw line.
A one-time All-Star, Ball has two years remaining on his contract and is eligible to extend for three years, $119.9 million after the NBA Finals, per Bobby Marks of ESPN.
The Hornets signed Ball to a five-year, $203 million extension in 2023. Ball will make $40,770,520 next season, $43,582,280 in 2027-28 and $46,394,040 in 2028-29.
Ball finished the 2025-26 season seventh in the NBA in total assists and ninth in assists per game. Former NBA executive and current analyst for The Athletic, John Hollinger, believes Ball should be considered "a candidate for Third-Team All-NBA."
Ball led the NBA in offensive rating since the All-Star break.
"I haven't heard him get a lot of shine for end-of-season honors, but Ball has played enough games to be eligible (!) and should be a candidate for Third-Team All-NBA," Hollinger wrote.
Ball has career averages of 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game with the Hornets. Those are great numbers, but the guard has yet to make the playoffs.
Charlotte has a bright future with Ball, Diabate, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel leading the way. It will be intriguing to see if the Hornets make the playoffs next season.
Hornets Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Hornets. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.