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LaVar Ball gets credited for his son LaMelo Ball’s success with the Charlotte Hornets originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Charlotte Hornets have been the most pleasant surprise of the 2025-26 NBA season. They went from being a mediocre team in the first half of the season to being one of the most dangerous Eastern Conference teams. LaMelo Ball is the primary reason for that due to his amazing play as the floor general.
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Of course, the Hornets are much deeper than just LaMelo because they have fantastic players such as Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabate, and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel. Head coach Charles Lee has plenty of tools to work with, and it is paying off for the Hornets this season.
LaMelo Ball credits his father for the Hornets’ success
As a member of the famous Ball family, LaMelo has always been in the spotlight. He was the youngest son of three brothers, the others being Lonzo and LiAngelo. They were all teammates on the Chino Hills team in high school, who kept going viral for the performances they were putting on around 2016 and 2017.
The three brothers were superb on the court, but it was their father, LaVar Ball, who kept going viral. He was quite an outspoken figure who managed to irk a lot of people around the world. However, he was always a fantastic father to his children.
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He was always the supportive father to his sons, which translated into their performances on the court. They were always confident and willing to make the big plays. It was clear that LaVar’s influence worked on his kids, and that has continued even in the NBA.
“Of course, we’re having fun… I feel like I was born for moments like this. I’ve been hoopin’ my whole life. It was second nature, for real. I feel like my pops got me right for these moments right here, so I just come and do what I love,” LaMelo said in his post-game interview with NBA TV after beating the Knicks on Thursday.
Moving forward, the Hornets will continue to be one of the most dangerous teams in the league. With Ball leading the offense, they will be a tough team to play against. Everyone on the Hornets roster has clicked with each other, and that could spell trouble for any team in the East that faces them in the postseason.
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