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Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball Fined $100K for What He Said After Win Over Bucks

The league is clearly sending a serious statement about 'offensive' player comments.

Philip Trapp

Nov 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) after the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) after the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets' (5-7) star guard, has been fined $100,000 by the league for an "offensive and derogatory" statement he made in an on-court post-game interview immediately after the Hornets logged a win at home over the Milwaukee Bucks (4-9) on Saturday (Nov. 16).

In an official release that emerged on Sunday (Nov. 17), the NBA Communications department stated, "Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $100,000 for making an offensive and derogatory comment in a postgame interview, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations."

The statement added, "Ball's comments occurred following the Hornets' 115-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 16 at Spectrum Center." See the corresponding X (Twitter) post from NBA Communications below.

The "offensive and derogatory" comment in question appeared to have been when Ball lowered his voice to seemingly utter an anti-gay slur as he was describing the game on Saturday.

"You said that last play, when he took the shot?" LaMelo responded to an on-court interviewer after the win over the Bucks at Charlotte's Spectrum Center, the player referencing a missed shot by the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo that preceded Ball making two free-throws to ultimately win the game by a point. See the footage from the interview video below.

The Hornets play the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

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Philip Trapp
PHILIP TRAPP

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