LaMelo Ball's girlfriend Ana Montana and pet dogs join him for offseason workout
LaMelo Ball had a tumultuous 2023-24 NBA season with more downs than ups. The Charlotte Hornets star was sidelined from Jan. 16 and only played 22 games with his team last season, raising eyebrows with another ankle injury.
It seems like the 2022 NBA All-Star is fully healthy and ready to be the best version of himself and according to a recent Instagram post, he's found the best-supporting team to bounce back.
Model Ana Montana, LaMelo's girlfriend, shared a video on her Instagram stories showing Melo at the gym. They were accompanied by their dogs while the player got some shots up. He looked to be in great spirits and shooting the ball well.
"Loading..." she captioned the post.
After entering the NBA as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, LaMelo Ball had a promising start to his career. He became an All-Star two years later, but after that moment, he's struggled to play at the highest level.
Injuries have bothered him and limited the player to just 58 games in the last two seasons. The Hornets have gone through some changes in the past year, with Michael Jordan selling the team and Steve Clifford stepping down as head coach, this team has a long way to go before being competitive.
That said, if Ball stays healthy, he can lead this team to compete for at least a playoff spot.
LaMelo Ball considered wearing ankle braces to prevent injuries
As the 2023-24 NBA regular season came to an end, LaMelo Ball opened up about his plans for this offseason. The young guard floated the idea of trying out ankle braces to protect him against injuries.
“I’m going to see over the summer, try some stuff,” Ball said back in April, according to AP.
He shared his honest feelings about not being on the court, labeling it as 'horrible' and vowing that he'll do everything he can to be in proper shape for next season.
“My favorite thing to do is play basketball and to not be able to do it is just horrible,” Ball said. “That fact that I got this summer (to be healthy), I’m going to take it and get it as strong I can to get out there and play.”
LaMelo Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game last season in 22 matches with the Hornets.