Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Fined $100K For Post-Game Comment

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was fined $100,000 by the NBA for “making an offensive and derogatory comment” while speaking to a reporter after a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 16. He was penalized after using a term popularized within the hip-hop community (a New York City vernacular going back over 30 years) when responding to a question about the game. He spoke about using the term after his team lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 17.

In a social media post, the NBA announced the penalty the next day.

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/eBXmqGaExw

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 17, 2024

According to ESPN, the Hornets player was speaking about the defense his team played against an opponent, Giannis Antetokounmpo, to seal the 115-114 win in Milwaukee. When questioned about the strategy, he uttered the two words that some found offensive. After the Cavaliers game, he immediately addressed the situation and stated he didn’t mean to “offend anybody.”

“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday. I really didn’t mean anything [by it] and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”

Ball’s coach, Charles Lee, backed his player’s apology and stated that he was “very apologetic.” He confirmed Ball’s interaction with people and is confident he will learn from the incident.

“I spoke to Melo, and he’s obviously very apologetic. From what I’ve seen since I’ve been around him, he loves everyone. He’s a joy to have around the facility, and it’s not typically how he operates. He and I talked about the seriousness of the situation and how he needs to conduct himself going forward.”

Outside of this misstep, Ball is having another good season. He is averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds for his fifth year in the league. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 2020-21.