NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball was fined for making an “obscene gesture” earlier this week on the court.
In a game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Ball drove to the basket for a floater, but was called for a charge.
Ball then turned on a referee and gave him the middle finger, costing him $35,000. The incident occurred with 4:02 left in the game, which Charlotte was losing, 144-117.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets reacts during the fourth quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on October 28, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Last season, Ball was hit with a $100,000 fine for making “offensive and derogatory comments” in a postgame interview.
The Hornets upset the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-114, when Ball hit the game-winning free throws on Nov. 16, but when discussing the final play of the game in which teammate Grant Williams defended Giannis Antetokounmpo’s last-ditch effort for the win, Ball dropped an anti-gay comment during his explanation.
“We loaded up,” Ball said, adding the phrase “no homo” in a low voice into the microphone before continuing to speak.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Spectrum Center. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
HEAT CAPTAIN BAM ADEBAYO, COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA VOTE STRONG SUPPORT FOR TERRY ROZIER: ‘THIS IS OUR BROTHER’
The other fines Ball has received stem from technical fouls – 18 in total – and a flop in a match in January 2024.
Ball has largely struggled to stay on the field, playing in just 110 games since the start of the 2022-23 season. But when he has been on the floor, he has proven to be a big difference.
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets reacts to a call during the second half of an NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Miami Heat at Spectrum Center on November 14, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)
Ball leads the Hornets with 24.4 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game in the young NBA season. Last year, he averaged a career-best 25.2 points per game. contest along with 7.4 assists and 4.9 boards.
