The NBA announced Thursday that it fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $35,000 for making an obscene gesture while on the court.
The incident occurred during the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, and Ball was assessed a technical foul.
After getting called for an offensive foul, Ball appeared to stick up his middle finger, which drew the tech and subsequent fine.
The $35,000 is the second-largest one of Ball’s career, as he was fined $100,000 last year for using “offensive and derogatory” language during a post-game interview.
Ball, 24, is in the midst of his sixth NBA season, all of which have been spent with the Hornets.
Selected third overall in the 2020 NBA draft, Ball was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 by virtue of averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals over 51 games.
His most successful season occurred one year later when he was named an All-Star for the first and only time to date. Playing in a career-high 75 games, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
While Ball has put up better averages in subsequent years, he has been plagued by injuries. Over the past three seasons entering 2025-26, Ball has not appeared in more than 47 games in a single campaign.
All told, Ball missed a total of 141 games from the 2022-23 season through the 2024-25 season, while playing in only 105 of them.
Last season, over 47 games, Ball averaged a career-high 25.2 points per contest, but the Hornets finished just a 19-63 record, marking their third straight losing season and ninth straight year outside the playoffs.
The younger brother of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball, LaMelo is off to a strong start so far this season.
Playing in all four of the 2-2 Hornets’ games, Ball is averaging 26.3 points, 9.5 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 three-pointers made and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from behind the arc.
All of those numbers would stand as new career marks if they hold up over the course of the entire season.
While Ball and the Hornets are coming off a one-sided loss to the Heat, they will look to get back on track Thursday when they host the Orlando Magic.
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