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19-year-old LaMelo Ball on Friday participated in his first day of practice with the Charlotte Hornets and the third overall pick loved the atmosphere around his new teammates.
Teams around the NBA are ramping up preparations ahead of the 2020-21 season and have held various practices and on-court drills each day this week. The preseason schedule is slated to begin on Dec. 11, leaving teams with just over a week to get ready.
Ball hasn’t played competitively in over a year when he last appeared in a game with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League on Nov. 30, 2019. Despite the long layover, the process of going through his first practice felt good to Ball.
“The first day of practice was cool, I loved the vibe and everybody around here is cool,” Ball said Friday on a Zoom call with reporters. “I really loved it, to be honest. I loved the guys, I love being here and I love playing basketball.”
The path Ball took to get to Charlotte had several twists and turns along the way. However, the one constant throughout his journey is the hard work he put in on the court and in the weight room, something he is eager to show off with the Hornets.
“It’s another step in the journey, another chapter,” Ball said. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time so now that I’m here, I feel like I’ve been working for it my whole life. If you have been preparing for something your whole life, you’re going to come in ready. My pops put it in my head if you want to be the best you, obviously, have to work. It’s not just going to come so ever since I’ve been playing I knew you’ve gotta work hard.”
Ball enters the season as the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award but his exact role with the Hornets remains to be seen. By all accounts, though, he arrived in Charlotte ready to be coached with the right mindset and attitude, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach James Borrego.
Charlotte begins preseason play on Dec. 12 vs. the Toronto Raptors.
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