The Charlotte Hornets announced that LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the NBA season to rehab his right ankle injury.
Ball has been out since January 26 with right ankle tendinopathy.
Ball only played in 22 games this season. He averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field, 35.5% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line.
The Hornets drafted Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball has career averages of 20.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award and made the 2022 All-Star team.
Ball signed a five-year, $204 million extension with the Hornets last summer. He will make $35.3 million next season.
The Hornets are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They will miss the playoffs this year for the eighth consecutive season.
During an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype back in October, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was asked to talk about Ball and Clifford showered Ball with lofty praise.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s so unique in my time, just because of what you said, size, speed, quickness, and then shot creation and shot-making,” Clifford said about Ball. “He’s a terrific worker. He only got to play 36 games last year. He was coming off a significant injury, and he crushed it this summer. … One of the things about him is if you’ve been around him, you can’t not like him. He’s like an upbeat guy. He’s always in a good mood. He’s great with his teammates, and he has a real passion and love for the game.”
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