For the first time since fracturing his wrist on March 20, LaMelo Ball spoke to the media on Tuesday about his injury, his return and how the Hornets have fared without him.
Ball was cleared to return from his injury on Monday, just shy of four weeks to the day from undergoing surgery in New York on his fractured wrist, which came in the first half of Charlotte’s loss to the Clippers in Los Angelels.
“To be honest, I remember going to the basket and then I kind of stumbled on my foot and fell back,” Ball said, “and then when I want to fall on my hands, my wrist didn’t bend back like the way it was. Then pretty much right when happened, I knew (it was injured) but I thought it was just like a sprain. Nothing too big so I was like ‘I’m just going to finish the game out, probably ice it after the game, be cool for the next one.’
“But it started just irritating more and more. I still didn’t think it was broken. I never thought it was what it was so I just kept going until they said it (it was broken).”
Ball has been sidelined for the better part of the last month, limited to cheering on his teammates on the sideline and a small amount of pregame work. On Monday, he received what he called “a blessing” in being cleared to returning to individual basketball activity with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting he could return to the lineup in 7-10 days.
“I don’t ever think like that,” Ball said of if he ever feared his season was over. “Even if it was, I don’t know, I ain’t ever think that though.”
Tuesday was the start of rehab for Ball, who said he wasn’t sure how soon he’d be back on the court. Ball continued to work out in multiple ways even with his cast, focusing on conditioning and upper body work.
“I pretty much already started,” Ball said of rehab. “I mean, this morning at treatment, I did a lot of stuff trying to bed it down, bend it up, all that type of stuff.
“I mean, it’s the first day out (of the cast) so it’s still stiff, but I mean, just been working on it trying to get better than the last day.”
While he was sidelined, Ball became a figure on the sideline for the Hornets for his reactions, most often to Miles Bridges’ routine highlight dunks. It was a unique situation Ball had never been in and, clearly, one he doesn’t want to return to.
“I’d probably say just not playing, staying on the sideline not being able to play,” Ball said of the toughest part of his injury.” That’s probably the toughest part, just having to watch.
“It’s always good to support, too. And I mean, even watching them is cool to watch. I don’t even watch basketball, so seeing it like that, I mean, it actually does look cool. So it was nice to watch.”
Ultimately, though, Ball’s return to the starting lineup will be sorely needed. While the team was .500 when he was injured and is .500 as of Tuesday, they’ve slipped down to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference as they cling to the playoffs.
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