LaMelo Ball's brother LiAngelo Ball drops 2-word reaction to Hornets star's stellar year

Once again, the Charlotte Hornets have struggled to keep up with the rest of the Eastern Conference. They looked competitive earlier in the season, but they haven't been able to keep their foot on the gas lately.

A lot of that has had to do with yet another injury to LaMelo Ball. The star point guard has been on a tear this season, averaging 30.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, but he's been forced to miss several games.

Even so, all in all, it's been a good year for the Chino Hills standout. Ball posted a reel to look back on it, and his brother, LiAngelo, had a simple message to celebrate him.

"Tht 1," he wrote on the post.

Via LaMelo Ball's IG

LaMelo Ball shares NSFW confession about playing in Lithuania

LaMelo Ball grabbed headlines for his rather controversial take on living in Lithuania. He let it known his experience playing there on his way to the NBA and it was no good.

“Honestly, after Lithuania, I didn't really give a f**k where I got drafted to. Once you get through that, it was like, I don’t care where y’all put me in. As long as I’m in the States and I got water, I’m good,” Ball said.

“Hella cold. Nobody around. That’s pretty much when I just locked in. I’m like, Yeah, I don’t really need too much. Just get it done and grind. That right there was big, I feel like. Sacrifice—you feel me? That’s what I looked at it as.”

Even so, Ball believes it may have been a blessing in disguise, as that experience helped him lock in and focus on what actually mattered.

“The mental sh*t goes back to Lithuania. Ever since all that, I ain't gone lie, my mental has been straight,” Ball added. “It ain't nothing you can do. I even sat on the bench there. I literally did everything out there.”

The Hornets may need some time before they can compete again, which raises concerns about Ball's future with the team. Barring further injuries, he should remain one of the most interesting players in the league. As a result, he will be highly coveted.

Ball is in the first year of a contract extension that will keep him tied to the Hornets through 2029. He'll be 27 and just entering his prime by the time he becomes a free agent, assuming he won't sign another contract extension before that.

That means the Hornets won't have much more time to field a competitive team around him before he thinks about taking his talents somewhere else.