NBA Star LaMelo Ball Reacts To Gordon Hayward News

LaMelo Ball (Hornets) left a comment on Gordon Hayward's Instagram post.

Jan 19, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts after scoring during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

LaMelo Ball spent the first three and a half seasons of his NBA career with Gordon Hayward (on the Charlotte Hornets).

Hayward was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the middle of the 2023-24 season.

He finished the year with averages of 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest while shooting 46.4% from the field and 41.1% from the three-point range in 51 games.

On Thursday, the free agent forward announced that he retiring from basektball.

His post on Instagram had over 56,000 likes and 1,300 comments in four hours.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gordon Hayward (@gordonhayward)

One person who left a comment was Ball.

His comment had over 680 likes in three hours.

Ball wrote: "🕺🏽🛸💕"

LaMelo Ball's Comment / August 1

While the Hornets were not a good team during Hayward's tenure with the franchise, he was an excellent veteran to have in the locker room for Ball.

There is a chance that Ball will be among the best 15 players in the NBA at some point, so his development on (and off the court) is critical for the Hornets to return to the NBA playoffs.

Last season, the 2022 NBA All-Star averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 43.3% from the field and 35.5% from the three-point range in 22 games.

Mar 19, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball sits out against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

The Hornets finished this past year as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-61 record.

They have been unable to make the NBA playoffs since the 2016 season when Kemba Walker was still on the roster (eight years ago).