Bismack Biyombo is setting the record straight about an incident that caught some attention after Friday’s game.
Following the Charlotte Hornets’ 118-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball was high-fiving teammates when he appeared to get into a physical exchange with Biyombo. Take a look:
lol what happened here pic.twitter.com/I37NnhJOsS
— Brady Klopfer (@BradyKlopferNBA) January 9, 2021
The 19-year-old Ball finished one assist shy of a triple-double. Toward the end of the game, he appeared to be stat-chasing. Many believed that Biyombo may have been upset with his teammate about that.
LaMelo Ball was taken out after this play, he's one assist away from a triple-double and he's stat chasing in a six-point game… #NBATwitter #AllFly pic.twitter.com/nEErgOpu3K
— Lachlan Everett (@LachieEverett) January 9, 2021
Biyombo explained the incident on Monday, saying there was nothing to it.
“I heard about that video. We actually laughed about it,” Biyombo said, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “He’s my little brother. We have fun.
“We were talking like, ‘We’ve got to stop playing [around]. We’re playing too much. Taking it a little too far.'”
Biyombo, 28, is in his seventh season with Charlotte, spanning two separate stints. That makes him one of the longest-tenured players on the roster and something of a mentor figure.
As for Ball, we know that he likes to goof around a bit. His Hornets teammates are more than happy to give it right back to him though.
