Hornets get bad news on LaMelo Ball’s injury

Dec 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 134-130. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The suffering continues for Charlotte Hornets fans.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Hornets have gotten rough news on franchise player LaMelo Ball’s right ankle injury. Ball has suffered a “serious” sprain to his ankle and will now likely miss extended time. Charania adds that Ball did manage to avoid a fracture in the ankle but that he is currently in a walking boot and crutches as the team is expected to be cautious with his recovery.

The 2022 All-Star Ball hurt his ankle during the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Orlando Magic. Ball came down awkwardly after a made layup over the outstretched arm of Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and had to be helped off the floor by training staff.

LaMelo was helped off the court after landing awkwardly on his ankle.

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— theScore (@theScore) November 27, 2023

It is a real shame for Ball, who was playing the best basketball of his career with 32.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per contest in the nine games prior to getting hurt. There is also extra concern surrounding this particular injury since Ball suffered a season-ending fracture to that very same ankle last February. Just like with his older brother Lonzo of the Chicago Bulls, the “injury-prone” label is becoming impossible to escape for Ball.