LaMelo Ball made his preseason debut for the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. While the Hornets ended a nine-month layoff between games, Ball’s break between games lasted over a year with his last game coming on Nov. 31, 2019, for the Illawarra Hawks.
Despite the extended layoff, Ball hardly missed a beat on the night, save for struggles shooting the ball. Ball’s final stat line off the bench was zero points on 0-of-5 shooting from the field and 0-of-3 shooting from deep, four assists, 10 rebounds and four turnovers.
Ball’s assists total may have been low but they were memorable. His full-court, one-handed assist to Bismack Biyombo was reminiscent of his older brother Lonzo. His behind-the-back pass to Miles Bridges was as flashy and smooth as any assist comes.
The Hornets would go on to lose the game 111-100 despite a 22-0 run in the first quarter.
Ball will certainly have better scoring nights this season but for an unofficial debut performance, it will be a memorable one.