LaMelo Ball Injury History

LaMelo Ball is a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, who is known for his flashy playing style. Born on August 22, 2001, Ball took an unconventional path to the NBA, gaining early professional experience overseas. At just 16, he signed with Prienai in Lithuania’s Basketball League (LKL) in 2017, alongside his brother LiAngelo. After this signing, LaMelo became the youngest American to sign a professional basketball contract. He later played for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) in 2019 and averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.4 steals. His great performances earned him NBL’s Rookie of the Year.

LaMelo was eventually selected with the third overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft. LaMelo transitioned to the NBA easily and won Rookie of the Year honors. Just in his second season, LaMelo was named an NBA All-Star in 2022. Beyond his mesmerizing passing ability, LaMelo Ball is also an effective 3-point shooter with a smooth touch around the rim. Ball is only the second-youngest player in NBA history—after LeBron James—to reach 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists. In the 2023-24 NBA season, LaMelo Ball averaged 23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.

LaMelo Ball’s Injury History

LaMelo Ball's NBA career started off strong in the 2020-21 season, where he was quickly recognized as one of the top young talents in the league. However, recurring ankle injuries have marred his first four seasons. This caused him to miss significant time with the Hornets. Here’s a look at how these injuries impacted his career:

Injuries LaMelo Ball Sustained in the NBA

Fractured Right Wrist

LaMelo Ball was off to a great start in the NBA, as he won the back-to-back Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year awards in January and February. However, LaMelo Ball suffered a fractured right wrist on March 20, 2021, during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared to be hurt after a fall, which caused him discomfort through the second half of the game.

An MRI revealed the fracture, and Ball underwent successful surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson. His wrist was immobilized, and he was initially expected to be out for the season. However, LaMelo made a surprisingly swift recovery and returned to basketball action just a month and a half later on May 1, 2021, in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Despite this injury, and missing out on 21 games, LaMelo Ball won the Rookie of the Year award.

Sprained Left Ankle

LaMelo Ball’s troubles continued in his second season, the 2022-2023 season as he suffered a sprained left ankle in the preseason. LaMelo was inactive for Charlotte's first 13 games of the 2022-2023 regular season due to this left ankle sprain injury. He eventually returned to play on November 12, 2022, but re-injured the ankle during a game against the Indiana Pacers on November 16. This re-injury caused him to miss an additional 11 games, leading to a total of 24 missed games in the first 27 games of the 2022-2023 season.

Fractured Right Ankle

After the initial setback, LaMelo Ball's left ankle was healed and he played 14 games between December 2022 and January 2023. However, on February 27, 2023, Ball again fractured his ankle during a game. This time it was the right ankle.

On February 27, 2023, LaMelo Ball fractured his right ankle during the third quarter of a game against the Detroit Pistons. This injury forced Ball to miss the remainder of the 2022-2023 season. Ball underwent surgery on his right ankle on March 1, 2023, to address the fracture. This injury limited him to just 36 games for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Right Ankle Strain

The 2023-24 season started off strong for LaMelo Ball, as he played exceptionally well in the first 14 games. However, during his 15th game on November 23, 2023, against the Orlando Magic, he unfortunately injured his right ankle again.

This time, LaMelo went down awkwardly while attempting a layup, leading to him being carried off the court and later ruled out. This injury was to the same ankle that had been surgically repaired in March 2023. As a result, Ball missed 20 games, from November 23, 2023, to January 10, 2024.

Right Ankle Injury Rehab

LaMelo Ball returned to play on January 12, 2024, against the San Antonio Spurs, but his right ankle continued to be problematic. After playing 7 games in January 2024, the right ankle injury kept on giving trouble to Ball, which is why the Hornets team management and coaches decided to shut down LaMelo Ball’s remainder of the 2023-2024 season to allow him full rehabilitation. Ball’s 2023-2024 season ended with only 22 games played.