The NBA is said to be looking into a controversial incident involving Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball after Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo injured his back in a play-in game.
LaMelo Ball was on the ground and seemed to grab Adebayo’s ankle, which led to the three-time All-Star falling back and injuring his back. The league’s decision could impact the Hornets’ next game.
League Review Underway
According to Chris Haynes:
“Sources: NBA to review Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball for taking out ankle of Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in 2nd Q, resulting in hard spill and back injury that cost him rest of crucial do-or-die play-in contest. Ruling expected before Hornets’ final play-in bout on Friday.”
Not long after the second quarter started, Ball hit the ground after a failed basket attempt on his way to the hoop. At the same time, he seemed to stretch his left arm and hold Adebayo’s left leg.
Adebayo fell hard to the court and was in immediate pain, eventually walking to the locker room.
Ball was not called for a foul, and Adebayo remained on the floor as play continued. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was visibly frustrated, arguing that Ball should have been ejected for the play.
“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that,” Erik Spoelstra said after the game.
What the NBA Is Most Likely to Do
GettyCharlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball during an NBA game.
Most likely, the NBA will upgrade the Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2 and impose a fine along with it.
Per the NBA rulebook, a Flagrant 2 means a player makes “unnecessary and excessive” contact, and the league office can even assess it after the game if referees miss it during the game.
Ball wasn’t called for any foul on the play, but that does not keep him safe from a post-game review.
A Flagrant 2 comes with a minimum $2,000 fine, but considering the extent of Adebayo’s back injury and the importance of the play-in game, it is quite possible that the league sets the fine even higher.
These kinds of retroactive measures are the NBA’s standard operating procedure; the league office almost always checks plays that officials flag or escalate through broadcast footage, and Spoelstra’s highly publicized statement after the game makes it almost certain that the league will thoroughly investigate.
The Suspension Threat Hanging Over Hornets
GettyMiami Heat v Charlotte Hornets – Play-In Tournament
One extremely worrying scenario for Hornets fans is a one-game suspension. The NBA has a very relevant example for this one of them is the case of Draymond Green who was suspended from the 2016 Finals and 2023 playoffs because the league pointed out his “history of unsportsmanlike acts” as the reason for his suspension.
That aspect of history is precisely what is making LaMelo’s case risky. An old video shows Ball doing something very similar to Adebayo, which may lead the league to see it as a pattern of behavior rather than a one-time incident.
The league’s decision to consider the ankle grab a deliberate act could result in LaMelo missing the do-or-die play-in game on Friday.
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