LaMelo Ball can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
Following the Hornets’ 105-101 loss to the Rockets on Thursday, Ball was asked about his recent car crash in Charlotte, but after taking just two questions on the subject, he stormed out of the room without saying another word.
One reporter started by asking, “How were you made aware the other person in the accident was also okay?”
Another reporter inquired about how the last 24 hours have been for Ball emotionally. Again, his answer was brief.
“Just alive and blessed. God is great,” he said.
Ball looked down at the podium following his reply, then stood up and walked off as another reporter began to ask a question.
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The incident came just a day after Ball crashed his custom camo-wrapped Hummer in downtown Charlotte.
Video footage showed Ball attempting to turn left at an intersection while a grey sedan was going straight.
The front drive’s side wheel was ripped off of Ball’s car, while the sedan’s front end was severely damaged. He was seen leaving the scene in a Lamborghini.
The status of the other driver was unknown before Ball’s comments Thursday.
Ball had been driving his Hummer since 2022 after he decked it out with the desert camo wrap and orange accents inside the tires.
Ball was seemingly OK after the latest incident and played 31 minutes in Thursday’s game versus Houston.
This isn’t the first time Ball, the No. 3 overall pick in 2020, has been involved in controversy during his NBA career.
In October, he was fined US$35,000 (AU$50,000) for making an “obscene gesture” at a ref in a loss to the Heat. He was hit with an even gaudier AU$140,000 fine in 2024 for making an anti-gay remark.
In his sixth season with Charlotte, Ball is averaging 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. The rebounds average is a career low, while his points mark is the lowest since his rookie campaign.
The Hornets could certainly benefit from him staying out of controversy, considering they currently sit in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
However, they’re just 1.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and two games in front of Chicago.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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