LaMelo Ball Injury Update: LaMelo Ball is probable to appear in his season debut game today against Miami
LaMelo Ball has been upgraded to probable just hours before the Charlotte Hornets are set to take on the Miami Heat on Saturday. This is great news for the Hornets franchise, as the team has struggled without Ball on the floor. The Hornets have posted just a 3-10 record to start the season, with Ball missing considerable time as the result of a 'grade 2 high ankle sprain.'
It's been a rough go without the 20-year-old All-Star. In his absence, the team has gone just three for ten, posting one of the worst records in the Eastern Conference during the span. The squad recently extended their losing streak to seven straight games as they lost a nail-biter in Miami on Thursday that went to overtime.
Leading up to Saturday night's rematch against the Heat, LaMelo Ball reportedly participated in the pre-game morning shootaround. Following the workout, a report emerged from longtime reporter Shams Charania indicating that Ball had been upgraded to probable. The tweet quickly spread like wildfire as many speculated that the team could finally snap their losing streak.
Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball could make his season debut tonight vs. Miami as he has been upgraded to questionable. Charlotte is off to a 3-10 start to the season without Ball. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
LaMelo Ball's preseason injury and its lasting impact
The injury took place during one of the team's preseason games leading up to the start of the regular season. While driving to the hoop, Ball landed awkwardly and visibly tweaked his ankle. He audibly reacted to the situation before winding up on the ground in obvious pain.
After going back to the locker room to undergo an evaluation, Ball never checked back into the game. Prior to the team's last preseason game, the team explained that there was no timeline for his return, sparking great concern among fans. With opening night rapidly approaching, the idea of going into the season without Ball was a daunting one.
You can see the footage of Ball going down with an ankle injury during preseason in the video below.
LaMelo Ball's injury history
Ball has managed to remain relatively injury-free since being drafted. Prior to that, however, he notably shut down for the remainder of the 2019-20 Australian NBL season as a result of a foot injury. With the NBA draft on the horizon, he and his team decided the risk of Ball making the injury worse simply wasn't worth it.
In his first season, Ball managed to win the Rookie of the Year award while playing in just 51 games. The following season, he stayed healthy and made a huge impact on the floor throughout the course of 75 games to earn himself an All-Star selection.
With the current NBA season already 13 games in, Ball and the Hornets will have some catching up to do if they want to make a playoff push. On the heels of having a breakout season last year, the team and its fans are eager to see what a healthy Ball can do once he finds his rhythm again.
The Hornets take on the Miami Heat Saturday at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST).
Check out some highlights from LaMelo Ball's 2021-22 All-Star season below!