Given the circumstances surrounding the preseason, LaMelo Ball’s performance, at least according to his peers, has been a remarkable one. Ball has fit in rather seamlessly with the Hornets during training camp, drawing the praise of a number of teammates and head coach James Borrego.
For Ball, a level of comfort with the city, the franchise and his teammates has been the biggest factor in his strong training camp.
“Pretty much from the day I first stepped here, I mean got in Charlotte to now, I’ve been loving it,” Ball said. “Teammates, coaches, everybody’s genuinely nice, great. So it’s an amazing vibe for real. I love to be here for real.”
This preseason with the Hornets has marked the first on-court work Ball has had with a professional team since his final game with the Illawarra Hawks on Nov. 30, 2019, when he notched his second consecutive triple-double. Thirteen months later, Ball has hit the ground running, figuratively and literally, with the Hornets.
Ball will play in his first game, competitive or not, on Saturday, 378 days since he last took the court for the Illawarra Hawks. Naturally, for all the success he’s had in the preseason, Ball is ready for the actual games to restart.
“I’ve been loving trying to camp, like I said everybody here being cool, been going good,” he said. “And (I’m) definitely ready to start this thing.”