LaMelo Ball could have tried to force his way out of Charlotte in hopes of landing an established NBA playoff contender in the next few years.
Instead, the 2022 All-Star point guard decided to accept his current situation with the struggling Hornets by signing a five-year contract earlier this month that will pay him up to $260 million. In doing so, he became the first Hornets player to sign a maximum rookie contract extension, giving Charlotte a critical building block.
Ball said he chose to stay in Charlotte because he feels comfortable living there and believes in what the Hornets are trying to create.
“Where we are, I feel like we’re all growing together,” Ball said Wednesday at his first news conference since signing the contract. “I think it’s a great position and I think we’re all on the right track now.”
Ball said the decision to stay was not a difficult one.
“All my years here I’ve had a good time,” Ball said. “Life wasn’t bad. The basketball aspect, if that really doesn’t go well, then you want to live your life and have fun. You want to live well, and in Charlotte I’m doing that. It all felt like a great choice.”
General manager Mitch Kupchak said keeping a player like Ball is a big step for the Hornets.
He believes Charlotte is about to snap a streak of seven consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs, the longest active streak in the league.
“We haven’t had great success as a team, which is something that will change,” Kupchak said. “To have a player like him back with us, just back with us, it’s exciting.”
Kupchak said the team’s goal has been to build during the draft.
Other than re-signing Ball and Miles Bridges, the Hornets weren’t very active on the free agent market. That’s largely by design, as Kupchak wants to give younger players a chance to develop. He said big-name free agents will want to come to Charlotte once the organization starts winning more games.
“I don’t think we necessarily have to add more talent,” Kupchak said. “I think the talent we need to get where we want to go is already in the system. Now it’s just going to take a little bit of time to get everybody up to speed and get to where we want to go. I don’t think there’s a major area that needs to be addressed.”
The big contract certainly adds pressure on Ball, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft. But the laid-back 21-year-old said that’s something he’s never worried about on the court, and he’s not willing to start now.
“Growing up, my parents always said that the pressure was to find your next meal, to find a place to sleep, things like that,” Ball said of his father, LaVar Ball. “I’m pretty blessed. I just have to worry about playing well. I don’t really have a problem. I’m straight.”
Ball is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he was limited to 36 games. He had a series of ankle injuries, including a fracture in late February that shut it down for good and required surgery.
When playing, he produced at a high level, averaging a career-high 23.3 points and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range.
Ball said he is now 100 percent healthy and eager to make a bigger impact.
“That’s a lot of motivation to get back on the court and do what I love,” Ball said.
Associated Press report.
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