Why did Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball reach out to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry?
After the Golden State Warriors beat the Charlotte Hornets on New Year's Eve, Stephen Curry revealed that LaMelo Ball has reached out to him.
Why did Ball reach out to Curry? It has to do with ankles.
Curry has dealt with ankle issues during his NBA career, so Ball wanted to know how the greatest shooter in NBA history overcame those ailments, as he has had trouble with ankle injuries as well.
"Yeah, he's reached out," Curry said. "We haven't been able to connect specifically on what he can do, but I know you've seen stuff that I've talked about. And actually Q, who's not here anymore but was part of their training staff the last couple years, was with us at Team USA last year. Q Sawyer, I think there's been a little bit of just conversation on that.
"And Seth (Curry) was texting me last year trying to give him some guidance. So hopefully at some point there'll be more hands-on involvement or some things that I could offer. But at the end of the day, it's just about getting stronger, trying to get the whole chain working and building up that resiliency. It happens over time, though."
Curry and Ball have undergone multiple ankle procedures. Curry has been able to bounce back from his early ankle issues by becoming a future Hall of Famer, while Ball is still trying to figure it out.
The Hornets drafted Ball in 2020. The Warriors could have actually taken Ball with the second pick, but they selected James Wiseman instead.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016. The franchise has had just one winning record since drafting Ball.
On the season, Ball is averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game while shooting 40.9% from the field, 36.7% from beyond the arc and 86.6% from the free-throw line.
The Hornets are 11-22. They are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings.