LaMelo Ball Fractures Right Ankle Midway Through Game for Charlotte Hornets

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
3
LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets holds his ankle after an apparent injury during the second half of a basketball game against the Detroit Pistons at Spectrum Center on February 27, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets holds his ankle after an apparent injury during the second half of a basketball game against the Detroit Pistons at Spectrum Center on February 27, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball is facing time on the bench with a fractured ankle.

The NBA's 2020-2021 rookie of the year sustained the injury midway through a game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday, when he turned his ankle in a non-contact play in the third quarter, according to ESPN.

A video posted to Twitter shows Ball, 21, dribbling the ball behind his back before stepping back and falling to the floor.

"It popped," he said to coaching staff shortly afterward. "I heard it pop."

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The 2021-2022 All-Star left the game having already scored 18 points, including 6 three-pointers, at the time of the injury.

Following the game, the team released a statement about Ball's injury and said an x-ray confirmed the fracture.

"Ball will be listed as out for the Hornets' next game vs. Phoenix on March 1 and updates regarding his status will be provided as appropriate," the team said.

For the sub-.500 Hornets, losing Ball for any length of time is a tough pill to swallow.

While their victory over the Pistons on Monday only gave the team its 20th win of the season, the Michael Jordan-owned franchise is on a five-game winning streak.

"It's certainly disappointing because he's a major part of our team and we felt like we were rounding the corner," Hornets forward Gordon Hayward said, per ESPN.

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LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game on Febuary 27, 2023 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game on Febuary 27, 2023 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty

It's not the first time this season the Hornets have had to deal with Ball's absence. The California native missed the first 13 games of this year with a left ankle sprain. Then, three games into his return, he stepped on a fan's foot and re-aggravated the injury, sending him back to the bench for another month.

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Talking about Ball's latest setback, Hornets coach Steve Clifford did not say how long the star would be out.

"It's just a basketball ankle and there is nothing that you can do about that," he said following the game.