LaMelo Ball: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Bill Simmons ‘guarantees’ Charlotte Hornets player will make 2028 USA Olympics team, it’s not LaMelo Ball

The Charlotte Hornets apparently have a player who is a lock-in for Team USA for the 2028 Olympics. More often than not, Team USA’s roster for the Olympics is headlined by the top stars in the NBA.

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The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Latest LaMelo Ball comparison is not what Hornets fans want to hear

The Charlotte Hornets added some real talent in the 2025 NBA draft, and the future is exciting for Charles Lee’s squad. On the other hand, this is a franchise currently constructed around a young star whose durability remains unproven.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 11

Bill Simmons 'guarantees' that a member of the Charlotte Hornets will make the 2028 US Olympic basketball team

With EuroBasket winding down and NBA training camps on the horizon, popular NBA podcast host Zach Lowe had a segment on an episode of 'The Zach Lowe Show' that spent time discussing potential members of the 2028 United States Olympic basketball team with Bill Simmons.

Charlotte Hornets News / Hardwood Heroics / September 11

'He Has to be Either on the Floor or in a Trade' – Charlotte Hornets Receive Stern LaMelo Ball Warning Ahead of the 2025-26 Campaign

The Charlotte Hornets have been rebuilding for as long as we can remember, prompting ESPN analysts Tim Bontemps, Brian Windhorst, and Tim MacMahon to question the team’s long-term plans.

Chicago Bulls News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The '2024-25 NBA triple-doubles' quiz

43 different players recorded a triple-double in the 2024-25 NBA season. How many of them can you name in six minutes?

The 'Lottery-Era top-three NBA Draft picks' quiz

The 'NBA triple-doubles leaders' quiz

The 'NBA Rookies of the Year' quiz

LaMelo Ball News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 10

ESPN insider sees two possible outcomes for LaMelo Ball's Hornets future

The Charlotte Hornets are sticking by LaMelo Ball right now. He's their franchise player despite calls for him to be traded by the media and some fans.

NBA News / Yardbarker

20 old school players who would have thrived in the modern NBA

Which former NBA players watch today's game and think to themselves, Man, I would have been awesome in today's game? Probably all of them. But how many of them are right?

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 10

One statistic that will define the Charlotte Hornets' 2025-26 season

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers proved in the 2025 NBA playoffs that pace is critical to team success. On their way to duking it out in a seven-game slugfest in the NBA Finals, Indiana and Oklahoma City ranked second and third in playoff pace behind only the Memphis Grizzlies.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 10

Who will be Hornets' top bench player?

The Charlotte Hornets will have some questions to answer about who will be in the starting lineup this season, mainly around the center position and the shooting guard spot.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 9

One word to describe the expectations of the Hornets 2025-26 season

When describing the 2024-25 season for the Charlotte Hornets, one word comes to mind almost immediately: Injury. Nearly 50 different starting lineups. You could count on one hand the number of times that the "core four" of LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Miller played together.

LaMelo Ball News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 8

What is LaMelo Ball's ceiling with the Charlotte Hornets?

We've already seen how good LaMelo Ball is. Charlotte Hornets fans know he can shoot with seemingly limitless range and modest if unspectacular efficiency.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 5

The three 2026 free agents the Hornets should have their eyes on

2026 free agency will be an important time for the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are still rebuilding, and they aren’t burdened by any terrible contracts that would prevent them from shaking things up.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 5

What the Hornets have to do to attract big-name free agents

Charlotte has never been considered a top destination for free agents in the NBA. It's exceedingly rare for them to be able to sign big-name guys to big deals.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 4

What a LaMelo Ball blockbuster trade package could look like at the 2026 deadline

What if the Charlotte Hornets decide to trade LaMelo Ball next deadline? If things continue to go the way they have been, the front office that has been so forward-thinking could do what seems now like the unthinkable.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 3

Which Charlotte Hornet has a higher ceiling: LaMelo Ball or Brandon Miller?

The Charlotte Hornets are lucky enough to have a pair of players that boast a superstar ceiling. Both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have all of the makings of a franchise-defining talent.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 3

NBA analyst picks Hornets' best player in three years for all the wrong reasons

The Charlotte Hornets have two franchise cornerstones in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. There have been questions about which one the team should really focus on and build around, but for now, they're both major pieces of the rebuild.

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The '50-home run MLB seasons' quiz

The '200-passing yards in first 20 NFL games' quiz

The 'Multiple TD passes in an NFL debut' quiz

The 'Two passing and rushing touchdowns NFL games' quiz

New Orleans Pelicans News / New Orleans Pelicans on SI / September 3

NBA Mock Trade: Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball Team Up in Blockbuster Deal

The New Orleans Pelicans have not made it past the first round of the NBA playoffs since the 2018 postseason, making just two playoff appearances in six seasons since then.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 3

Spencer Dinwiddie is 'excited' to be a member of the Hornets

LaMelo Ball has played less than 50 games in all of his last three seasons in the NBA. With this, the Charlotte Hornets have seen a rotation of backup guards come in and receive starts.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 3

NBA analyst's Power Rankings are flat-out wrong about Charlotte Hornets

Last year, the Charlotte Hornets were the third-worst team in the NBA by record. Were they really that bad, though? It can be argued that a glut of injuries (to LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Tre Mann) contributed to that.

Charlotte Hornets News / NBA Draft on SI / September 2

Charlotte Hornets Rookies Could be Impactful in Year 1

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the worst teams at drafting over the last 25 years. Outside of Kemba Walker, LaMelo Ball and potentially Brandon Miller, the Hornets have failed to draft and keep impactful players on the roster.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 1

3 Hornets outcomes: Dream, nightmare, and realistic seasons in 2025-26

What does 2025-26 hold for the Charlotte Hornets? That remains anyone's guess, even after an exciting offseason full of big changes. They could be pretty good, but in typical Hornets fashion, they could also be pretty bad.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 1

Winners and losers from the Hornets' busy offseason

The Charlotte Hornets enjoyed a whirlwind of an offseason. Players came and went, and the team is very different heading into 2025-26, which is a good thing after a 19-win season.

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / September 1

4 biggest concerns for LaMelo Ball heading into 2025-26

There are always questions facing LaMelo Ball. Can he win games? Is he just an inefficient shot-chucker? Can he stay healthy? Is he a serious basketball player?

Charlotte Hornets News / Charlotte Hornets on SI / August 31

What needs to happen for Hornets to outperform ESPN projection

The Charlotte Hornets are determined to lift themselves out of the lottery, which they have been toiling in for the last half-decade. Instead of competing in playoff games, they have been trying to win high draft picks.

East Notes: Hawks, Jalen Johnson, Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Bulls

The Hawks may be pinning their hopes on a healthy Jalen Johnson. More specifically, Atlanta’s ceiling this season could hinge on Johnson’s growth, as written by ESPN’s Zach Kram.

Charlotte Hornets News / Yardbarker / August 7

Hornets veteran shares praise for LaMelo Ball

Ball has played in fewer than 50 games in each of his last three seasons, with 47 appearances this past season. His only fully healthy campaign resulted in his lone All-Star selection back in 2022.

The 25 most eccentric NBA players of all time

The '1996-97 Charlotte Hornets' quiz

Charlotte Hornets News / Yardbarker / July 29

Hornets guard makes key admission heading into 2025-26 season

With the 2025-26 campaign just months away, Brandon Miller will want to get things back on track, especially in terms of building chemistry with LaMelo Ball.

Which former player will the Warriors reunite with?

LaMelo Ball gets roasted over hideous new foot tattoo

The post-draft, post-free agency NBA team power rankings

The 'Leading scores in Charlotte Hornets history' quiz

Charlotte Hornets News / Larry Brown Sports / July 27

LaMelo Ball gets roasted over hideous new foot tattoo

LaMelo Ball seems to have outdone himself once again. The Charlotte Hornets star Ball went viral this week over his ludicrous new tattoo. Ball’s tattoo artist, who goes by @iamelvistattoo on Instagram, showed off the new ink that he apparently just gave to the 23-year-old NBA All-Star.