The NBA announced huge news about Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball ahead of the play-in game.
Before the Charlotte Hornets' 9-10 play-in game against the Miami Heat, the NBA announced huge news about LaMelo Ball.
For the 2025-26 season, Ball had the 15th top-selling jersey.
Ball played in 72 games 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.
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 and the Hornets will have to win two play-in games to make the 2026 playoffs. Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016. The Hornets will host the Heat in the 9-10 play-in game.
Ball finished the 2025-26 season seventh in the NBA in total assists and ninth in assists per game. During an interview with Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, Hornets exec Jeff Peterson spoke about Ball's seriousness. Many people don't realize that Ball had a very productive 2025 summer.
“We’ve got to give credit to LaMelo himself,” Peterson said, “because ever since I’ve been here, he’s been serious. I know last year he got banged up and just couldn’t finish the season. But even this summer, he took it extremely seriously, in terms of being in the weight room constantly. He put on 10 to 12 extra pounds of muscle, which helps. “It’s certainly going to help in the playoffs once we get there and all, just because the game becomes more physical, it slows down. Teams know LaMelo is the head of the snake, so if we get him frustrated or whatever it may be. ... So again, I’ll go back to the work that he put in this summer and then just being extra diligent with his rehab.”
It will be fascinating to see if the Hornets make the playoffs this season.
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