LaMelo Ball is not a Charlotte Hornet. Even now that some time has passed, this statement feels wrong. It doesn’t roll off the tongue. It elicits a weird feeling; at least for me, it did when I wrote it down.
Nevertheless, it is a fact. LaMelo Ball’s stint in Charlotte is over, and while it is stunning, it also allows an opportunity to look at what the former Rookie of the Year achieved during his tenure. What better way to do so than by the numbers?
The Early Years (2020-2022)
Delayed by COVID-19, the 2020 draft took place on the 18th of November. The Hornets selected LaMelo Ball with the third pick, making him the third third pick in franchise history, the other two being Adam Morrison in 2006 and Baron Davis in 1999.
Ball’s first-ever NBA regular-season game was unique. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the only 19-year-old put up zero points but finished with a plus-minus of +2. It would be his only scoreless game as a Hornet.
Following the slow start, he adapted quickly. The scoring and playmaking came along, and soon enough Ball was one of the league’s most hyped up-and-comers. A fractured right wrist put him out of action for a couple of weeks, but he was back towards the end of the season and solidified his case as Rookie of the Year.
He ended up following the footsteps of Larry Johnson and Emeka Okafor, becoming the third Rookie of the Year winner in franchise history. Unsurprisingly, he also made the All-Rookie First Team, which only four other players in franchise history had done before.
On top of that, Ball became the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double at the time and the first rookie in sixty years to lead all rookies in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
Ball’s second season saw his fast-paced rise to stardom continue. He started 75 games, raised his averages, and was rewarded with a spot in the All-Star Game as a reserve after Kevin Durant had to bow out due to an injury. Ball was the third-youngest All-Star of all time and the 8th in Hornets history.
The five triple-doubles he would amass over the course of the 2021-22 season remain a franchise record. Besides the impressive play, another trend within LaMelo’s career became apparent. His efficiency numbers declined against the league’s best defenses and in high-pressure situations.
Whether that was his own fault or that of his mostly unimpactful teammates can be debated. What cannot be debated is that both of Ball’s first two NBA seasons ended the same way: With a hefty play-in loss.
The Injury years (2022-2025):
Unhappy with those losses, the Hornets brass decided to fire head coach James Borrego and replace him with a familiar face in Steve Clifford. Ball also felt it was time for a change, swapping his jersey number from two to one.
It didn’t prove to be a lucky decision. The next three seasons were filled with nothing but misfortune. Numerous injuries allowed Ball to play only 105 of 246 possible games, and he had very little help on the court when he did suit up.
His most memorable moment during this time span was a fifty-point heater against the Milwaukee Bucks, his career high and the third highest mark in Hornets history.
The last hurrah (2025-2026):
Ironically, LaMelo’s final year in the Queen City was arguably his best. He had healthy and consistent teammates, avoided major injuries, and spurred the Hornets to their best record since 2016.
Along the way, Ball played a major role in some of the highest wins in franchise history, hit a franchise high of ten threes in a game against Washington, and sank the second-most threes in a season in franchise history.
Fittingly, Ball’s final two appearances came in play-in games and had everything to offer: Brilliant scoring spurts and assists, mind-numbing defensive lapses and turnovers, but above all, a LaMelo Ball game-winner that meant something.
What remains?
Never mind the single-game records, accolades, and season-highs, Ball has worked himself up the Hornets’ all-time leaders quite a bit.
He ranks second in total three-pointers with 977 (he was the fastest NBA player ever to reach 900), fourth in field goal makes, and fourth in assists.
Per game, he averages the third most points and assists. Diving a bit deeper, he has the second-highest assist percentage and BPM, as well as the highest usage percentage and OBPM.
None of these stats, or any stat in this article, will be able to solve the debate on whether LaMelo Ball was actually superstar-bound and whether the Hornets should have kept him. But that isn’t the point anyway.
What the stats do tell you is that Ball, 1) was asked to do a lot on the court and 2) left a lasting mark on the record books. Whether that makes him a do-it-all phenomenon, an injury-prone empty-stat provider, or something in between will be left up to everyone’s own determination.
And it will be that way, probably, forever. The book on Ball’s time in Charlotte has been closed.
To hear more thoughts on LaMelo’s time in Charlotte, you can listen to THIS episode of the official Charlotte Hornets on SI podcast.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
