Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabate took a funny jab at LaMelo Ball.
The Charlotte Hornets have been rolling, having won five straight games to improve to 39-34 and inch closer and closer to potentially landing a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, there is plenty of work left to do, but with the Hornets having gone 23-6 over their last 29 games, the arrow is definitely pointing upward.
A big reason for that is center Moussa Diabate, who has been a tremendous surprise for Charlotte this season.
Diabate is averaging 8.1 points and 8.7 rebounds over 26 minutes per game while shooting 62.7 percent from the floor during the 2025-26 campaign, and he boasts an incredible plus-13.1 net rating.
But while Diabate is clearly comfortable with LaMelo Ball and Co. on the court, that does not necessarily mean he trusts Ball off of it ... specifically when it comes to driving.
Ball was involved in a scary car accident last month in which he crossed into oncoming traffic with his Hummer and crashed into an Uber driver. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but Ball's Hummer was totaled.
Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate. Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images.So naturally, Diabate isn't quite ready to get into a car with Ball behind the wheel.
During an appearance on The Zach Lowe Show, Lowe asked Diabate if he has ever been in a car driven by Ball, and Diabate's response was hilarious.
"Hell no. Never will," Diabate said. "... You know he had that one incident that happened, but I haven't."
Good thing that has nothing to do with the way Ball and Diabate actually play together on the floor.
While Diabate is more known for his defensive impact, he has comprised a terrific pick-and-roll partner for Ball, which has been critical for the Hornets' offense.
The 24-year-old was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 43rd overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft and spent two seasons with the Clippers before ultimately signing a two-way contract with Charlotte in July 2024.
After barely playing in Los Angeles, Diabate appeared in 71 games during his debut campaign with the Hornets, logging 5.7 points and 6.2 boards a night.
Charlotte will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.
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