“Shut the f*ck up, n**”: LaMelo Ball and Cam Whitmore's alleged heated exchange comes to light
LaMelo Ball and Cam Whitmore repeatedly went after each other in the Houston Rockets’ 138-104 demolition of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Whitmore, Houston’s first-round pick last year often had to take on Charlotte’s star point guard during switches. The rookie didn’t back down and even did his own punishing when it was the Rockets’ turn to play offense.
After a close first half, the Rockets pulled away in the third quarter by outscoring the Rockets 44-25. Houston, which led 99-78 leading into the final frame, wanted to complete the job early. Ball, however, refused to quit and started the period aggressively trying to score.
Early in the fourth quarter, LaMelo Ball drove into the lane against Cam Whitmore but spun for a layup. He left the rookie behind him but was met by another first-year player, Amen Thompson, who was called for a foul.
Whitmore probably thought that Ball flopped so he called him a:
“Bum a** n****.
The former All-Star was still on the floor when he responded:
“Shut the f**k up, n***!”
The two traded trash talk even when LaMelo Ball was already at the free-throw line. Charlotte’s franchise cornerstone repeatedly told Cam Whitmore that he wasn’t going to do anything. Meanwhile, the rookie repeatedly signaled to Ball to meet him at the back where they can settle the argument out of the limelight.
Ball’s trash-talking and feistiness all went for naught as the Rockets ended their opponents' night. Whitmore almost did it all by himself by draining three 3-pointers and a short jumper in a two-minute span after the exchange with Ball. The rookie got the last laugh as his scoring binge put the game away early.
Cam Whitmore’s barrage pushed the lead to 31 points which forced Hornets coach Steve Clifford to empty his bench. LaMelo Ball’s night was cut short, playing just 23 minutes, as the game had already been decided before the midway point of the fourth quarter.
LaMelo Ball was frustrated by Cam Whitmore and the Rockets’ physical defense
After a 137-131 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Rockets coach Ime Udoka claimed that his players were “angry” and “frustrated.” They had a good game versus Portland but couldn’t finish what they started. Udoka said that he told his young team to take that anger into the next game.
Against the Charlotte Hornets, the Rockets brought their anger by playing physical defense right from the bat. They didn’t let up even when they surged to a big lead in the third quarter. Cam Whitmore and Dillon Brooks were at the center of that unforgiving defensive pressure on Charlotte.
LaMelo Ball, who is front and center of everything the Hornets do on offense, was the focus of that defensive effort. He had 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting and went 2-for-9 from behind the arc. Ball’s frustrations had been simmering before it boiled over when Whitmore called him a “bum a** n****.