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 following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/eBXmqGaExw
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 17, 2024
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.
Ball continued, "Yeah, we loaded up — no homo. But that's what we wanted."
The Hornets play the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
“We loaded up… no homo” go ahead and take that fine Lamelo🤣 pic.twitter.com/FnFn0BjPs8
— Pablo⛷️ (@sxintpablo24) November 16, 2024
MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI
The Hornets look to spring upset and defeat unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball Fined $100K for What He Said After Win Over Bucks.
