Tag: LaMelo Ball

LaVar Ball blamed LaMelo’s injury problems with the Hornets on Puma’s ‘raggedy shoes’

LaVar is back like he never left.

It’s wild that LaVar Ball was seemingly everywhere back in 2017 and 2018. But I must give him credit — he’s basically avoided the spotlight and controversy since his sons, Lonzo and LaMelo, reached the NBA.

But the outspoken basketball dad could only stay silent for so long. And as both Lonzo and LaMelo have seen promising NBA careers plagued with injury problems, LaVar has taken aim at LaMelo’s shoe supplier, Puma.

In an interview with CBS Sports, LaVar voiced his frustrations with both NBA conditioning programs and the quality of Puma’s basketball shoes. He said via CBS Sports:

“They’ve been trained hard enough? No, no, no,” he says. “Because you condition your body for running and jumping. You’ve got to condition your legs. So that’s why I always have my boys in them hills and running hard in them hills. That will make you run like a deer when you get on that court, so you won’t be getting hurt. A lot of things have to do with them raggedy shoes that Melo be wearing. Them shoes are not made the right way for him. That’s why he keeps tweaking his ankle every single time.”

Lonzo has not appeared in an NBA game since January of 2022 as he’s dealt with chronic knee issues. Lonzo, of course, started his career with a Big Baller Brand signature shoe before distancing himself from the brand amid controversy. LaMelo signed a 10-year deal with Puma in 2020 rumored to be worth $100 million. And despite his All-Star play when available, LaMelo will end his 2023-24 season with just 22 games played and 36 last season.

LOOK: LaMelo Ball’s shoes this season

Just before getting drafted by the Hornets, LaMelo Ball ditched his family’s Big Baller Brand and signed with Puma. Ball, one of the most talented young guards in the NBA, is now on his third signature shoe, the Puma MB.03.

Take a look at the different sneakers he has showcased when he’s gotten the chance to play this season.

Full injury report for Friday’s Hornets vs. Thunder matchup

Full injury report for Friday’s Hornets vs. Thunder matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder hopes to pick up an easy win over the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Friday. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The Thunder will be short-handed entering the contest. Jalen Williams (ankle sprain) and Isaiah Joe (sternum contusion) remain out as they’ll likely miss at least one more game.

Meanwhile, the Hornets could be without their franchise player. LaMelo Ball (ankle tendinopathy) is doubtful.

Other key absences include Gordon Hayward (calf strain) and Mark Williams (back recovery), who are both out. Amari Bailey (G League two-way) is also listed out.

The Thunder (33-15) continue a four-game homestand when they welcome in the Hornets (10-36) for the first matchup between both teams this season.

In their last game, OKC avoided its first three-game losing streak when it survived the absences of Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe by grinding out a close win over the Denver Nuggets — who were without Nikola Jokic — on Monday.

Meanwhile, Charlotte continues to plummet down the standings. It’s lost five in a row with a defeat against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday being its latest contest.

Tip off from Oklahoma City is set for 7 p.m. CT.

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14 most surprising omissions (Tyrese Maxey!) from the 2024 USA Basketball men’s player pool

Unless these players denied invitations, these are some very shocking decisions by Team USA.

USA Basketball announced a 41-athlete player pool as candidates for the Paris Olympics roster. Eventually, 12 players will make the final cut.

Among the 12 names that we initially projected to make the roster after the 2023 FIBA World Cup, 11 appeared on the first list. Those players were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges.

A few notable All-Stars to also earn invitations include Chris Paul, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Jrue Holiday, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jarrett Allen.

The other players were Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Brunson, Alex Caruso, Aaron Gordon, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Chet Holmgren, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson and Derrick White.

Two players who we did not include in our surprising omissions were Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. While both of these players may have helped the team on the court, they have faced off-court issues that made invitations unlikely — plus Morant is currently injured.

Otherwise, these were the most surprising omissions from the list:

LaMelo Ball had an unexpectedly NSFW answer when he was asked his favorite Thanksgiving dish

LaMelo Ball said a few things he probably shouldn’t have.

It was the night before Thanksgiving and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was asked what he was most looking forward to eating the next day.

The 22-year-old guard, who had just defeated the Pistons, finished the game with 34 points as well as 13 assists and eight rebounds. Likely feeling a bit excited by the success he enjoyed on the court, Ball may have found himself a bit lost in the moment when he was asked about the holiday.

Ball said that his favorites were chicken, turkey and ham. That was a fully normal and expected answer! But then he started to shift toward a tone a bit more likely to cause an FCC violation.

WARNING: This answer contains language not suitable for work.

It was legitimately surprising how many times Ball was able to slip up without realizing the mistake he was actively making on live TV.

Hopefully, however, he will be able to enjoy the main courses and the shmackin’ peach cobbler that clearly has him so excited.

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Rockets 128, Hornets 119: With another 20-10 game, Fred VanVleet leads way to first win

Fred VanVleet had another 20+ point and 10+ assist game and led the Rockets to their first win of the season in Wednesday’s victory over Charlotte.

Fred VanVleet led the way with 22 points and 11 assists as the Rockets (1-3) picked up their first win of the 2023-24 regular season with Wednesday’s 128-119 victory (box score) over Charlotte (1-3). Rookie guard Amen Thompson left early with a right ankle sprain.

For VanVleet, Houston’s flagship signing in 2023 free agency, it was the second time in three games he has scored 20-plus points while dishing at least 10 assists. VanVleet largely outplayed star Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who had 19 points and 5 assists.

As a team, the Rockets made 21-of-37 from 3-point range (56.8%), which was easily their best performance of the season to date. VanVleet led the way with five makes in 10 attempts (50%).

All five of Houston’s starters scored in double figures. Other standouts from Wednesday’s game included:

  • Jalen Green: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; 4-of-8 on 3-pointers (50%), 7-of-7 on free throws
  • Dillon Brooks: 20 points, 5 assists, 5 steals; 7-of-9 shooting (77.8%), 3-of-3 on 3-pointers
  • Alperen Sengun: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists; 9-of-12 shooting (75%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists; 7-of-10 shooting (70%), 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60%)

Here are highlights and interviews from Wednesday night, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for Houston as the seven-game homestand, the longest of the season, continues at Toyota Center is Saturday’s matchup versus Sacramento. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central.

Ranking the 23 best NBA players under 23 years old, with a FIBA World Cup star leading the pack

Where should Victor Wembanyama rank? Here’s the answer, along with the other best young NBA stars.

We are entering a new era of the NBA with Victor Wembanyama as one of several young stars vying to become the face of the league.

Now that the NBA’s 2023-24 season is less than a month away from tipping off, as we did last year, we have decided to re-rank the 23 best players who are under 23 years old.

But why 23? Well, it is not just because that was the number worn by Michael Jordan. Typically, NBA publications rank 25 players under 25 years old. You can read versions of that here, here, and here. I wanted to try out a similar thought experiment but with a new twist.

By the time NBA players are 25 years old, many have already graduated to their second contract and are in vastly different chapters of their careers than the league’s young players. It is harder to compare players like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum, who will each earn more than $30 million next season, to players on rookie scale contracts.

The following rankings, meanwhile, are based predominantly on how we see NBA projections for next season. It is not as predictive of their future success or their potential in the league.

NOTE: For this exercise, all players included must be born after Oct. 24, 2000. 

Charlotte Hornets PF Brandon Miller goes off in NBA Summer League

Brandon Miller shows everyone why he deserved to be the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft

It is only the Summer League, but through the first two games of his NBA career former Alabama PF [autotag]Brandon Miller[/autotag] wasn’t quite able to find his groove. Don’t get me wrong, Miller was still impressive in his first two games for the Charlotte Hornets, but he just couldn’t really seem to find his game early on.

Against the Spurs, he went for 16 points, 11 rebounds and one assist, but he was cold from the field as he shot 5-15 and 3-10 from three. In game two against the Lakers, Miller had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but again struggled from the field as he shot 4-18 and 0-7 from three. He also picked up nine fouls between the two games which is a bit concerning, but the NBA does allow one more per game than college does with six.

Tuesday night, all of the pieces came together and it finally worked out for Miller as he had his best performance in the Summer League. Miller went off against the Trail Blazers for 26 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, but more importantly, he finally found his shot as he went 8-15 from the field, 3-6 from three and 7-7 from the stripe. The No. 2 pick immediately went viral on social media after the game after showing everyone he belongs on the big stage.

Miller is already showing his teammates that he’s ready to play and that he will be the perfect compliment to All-Star PG LaMelo Ball. With tampered playoff expectations and a young core, Miller will continue to grow. We’ve already seen his game evolve so much in just three games that it will be a blast to see where he is by this time even next year.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

WATCH: Brandon Miller talks joining the Hornets, message to fans

Brandon Miller talks joining forces with LaMelo Ball and his message to Hornets fans!

This past Thursday night, former Alabama men’s basketball star, Brandon Miller was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Miller has since arrived in Charlotte and is already making his way through the media frenzy that comes with being a high selection in the draft.

On Saturday morning, Will Kunkel of Fox Charlotte released a short video clip on Twitter of Miller discussing joining forces with the Hornets and star guard, LaMelo Ball and would also deliver a message to the fans of Charlotte.

Take a look at what Miller had to say!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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Celtics trade ideas: Lamelo Ball to Boston in Jaylen Brown Package deal

In light of the new CBA, the folks at the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast have been brainstorming trade ideas for Brown,

The Boston Celtics will have tough decisions to make to maximize their contention window under the NBA’s especially punitive (at least, for teams with expensive rosters like the Celtics) collective bargaining agreement that was designed to limit teams spending their way to a title.

That new CBA has some nervous fans and analysts clamoring for decisive action in that vein immediately. Many even calling for Boston to deal away star forward Jaylen Brown instead of offering the Georgia native a supermax extension. To that end, the folks at the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast have been brainstorming trade ideas for Brown, with their latest clip focused on a swap for Charlotte Hornets star point guard Lamelo Ball.

To hear the finer details of such a potential swap — or to scream at your screen because you hate the suggestion — take a look at the clip embedded below to see what the Garden Report crew has in mind.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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