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LaMelo Ball leads the NBA in a HORSE-esque shooting stat
Nov 19, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to shoot the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If you've ever thought that LaMelo Ball shoots off of one leg more than anyone else in the NBA, you'd be correct. A new stat shows that the Charlotte Hornets guard is doing that more than his counterparts by a wide margin, but it also shows that he's hitting it at an impressive clip.

LaMelo Ball leads the NBA in one-legged threes

LaMelo Ball has attempted a staggering 53 one-legged threes. The next four on the list across the entire NBA have combined for 24 between them. LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton, Victor Wembanyama, and Trae Young are the only players doing this with any sort of frequency, but it remains Ball's signature shot.

As mentioned, the other four have 24 attempts between them, and Ball has made 21 of his attempts. The 40% rate is good, and it's above the league average for three-point shooting in general. By making the shot a little harder on himself and adding some flair to it, Ball seems to have upped his percentage.

This shot has become a major part of Ball's arsenal, but his entire array of jump shots is unique. You may have noticed that the "jump" in his jump shot often doesn't actually leave the ground. He's taking 33-foot three-pointers, and he might get 0.33 inches off the ground in doing so.

There's reason to believe that this is done to preserve his ankles. He suffered so many ankle injuries, so it stands to reason that he might be cautious about all the impact on his joints. Jumping higher leads to more impact, and his current jump shot has virtually none at all.

Whatever the reason, Ball isn't going to stop taking these strange, unorthodox shots. If this new stat is any indication, he's probably not going to stop making them any time soon, either.

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This article first appeared on Charlotte Hornets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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