Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball avoided injury in a car crash in Uptown Charlotte, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. He was not on the Hornets’ injury report prior to Thursday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
WSOC-TV has more details about the crash, as well as video. It reportedly occurred at the intersection of Tryon Street and Trade Street, with Ball’s custom Hummer hitting the front left wheel of a Kia sedan. The sedan’s driver was reportedly taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
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Ball was reportedly traveling west on Trade when he tried to turn left onto Tryon. Footage appears to show the Hummer trying to bail out of the turn but still colliding with the Kia with the front left section.
It has not been confirmed Ball was the one driving, but he was later seen exiting the Hummer from the driver’s seat and leaving in a Lamborghini after police arrived on the scene. Images from the scene show the Hummer missing its front left wheel.
It’s unclear if Ball will face any legal consequences from the crash. However, he seems to have built something of a reputation behind the wheel in his time in Charlotte, as you can see from a 2024 compilation of him allegedly making reckless turns and driving through red lights while exiting the Spectrum Center parking garage.
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Ball is in his sixth season with the Hornets and is currently playing a career low in minutes per game at 27.7, with his points (19.3) and assists (7.4) also representing his lowest numbers since his rookie year. However, he’s also on pace to crack 50 games played for the first time since the 2021-22 season.