"NBA D-riding LaMelo now?": Fans voice mixed reactions as LaMelo Ball's ear tattoo won't warrant fine

Charlotte Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball was reportedly not to be fined for the ear tattoo he has as he made his return to action on Friday in their road game against the San Antonio Spurs. It is the same tattoo that the league asked him to cover, as it runs against an existing league policy.

22-year-old Ball has the initials “LF” tattooed below his left ear in red ink. It stands for LaFrance, short for his middle name but also doubles as the name of his apparel company.

Early this season, the league called him out about it as it was a violation of an NBA policy prohibiting commercial logos on the bodies of players.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that upon his return from a six-week absence because of injury, LaMelo Ball was not to be fined for not covering up his tattoo, eliciting mixed reactions from NBA fans on social media.

Below are what some of them wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

@DividendDudeYT wrote: NBA d-riding Lamelo now?

@Demar305 wrote: Finally they should just let that tattoo be

@NFTPrince wrote: Good, let him cook

@GrizzliesFilm wrote: What has the league I love become

@garettnelson wrote: That’s very sweet of the national basketball league.

@Flawless_Sports wrote: NBA being like the no fun league, thank god they ain’t gonna fine him

@highrollerhoops wrote: Petty smh

@Dot4PF wrote: NBA is soft

@RobGuy3 wrote: The NBA is too worried about the wrong things

@ShutUp_Tweet1 wrote: It’s shouldn’t have been covered at all! It’s his middle name! The nba is becoming a dictatorship! If they can’t make money off it then it’s banned..

What did the NBA initially say on the LaMelo Ball's ear tattoo?

When the NBA asked LaMelo Ball early this season to cover up the ‘LF’ tattoo, they said that it was part of existing policy against the use of body marks. In particular, banning commercial logos.

The NBA cited that it is written in the collective bargaining agreement that players are not allowed to sport logos on their bodies promoting commercial brands.

It came out with a statement on it which read:

"Per the (collective bargaining agreement), players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games,"

"We try to enforce the rule reasonably, in accordance with its purpose, and taking into account players' efforts to express themselves in a non-commercial manner. But LaMelo Ball's neck tattoo is in obvious violation of the rule and, accordingly, he's required to cover it."

LaMelo Ball’s ‘LF’ tattoo stands for his middle name LaFrance but also doubles as the name of his apparel company.

His representatives argued that the player should not be prevented from showcasing the tattoo, even if it was considered a corporate logo, since other players have done the same for other brands.

The argument seemingly did not fall on deaf ears since it was reported that Ball would not be fined for it upon his return to action on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs after a six-week absence because of an ankle injury.