Report: Hornets' LaMelo Ball Won't Be Fined by NBA for LF Tattoo After Cover Request

LaMelo Ball is set to return to the Hornets lineup Friday and he won't have to worry about any fines either.

The guard had previously been told to cover up a tattoo below his left ear due to it violating league rules against visible commercial logos. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Ball doesn't need to worry about that anymore as the league has decided not to fine him.

The tattoo in question displays the letters "LF" which is a reference to his middle name, which is LaFrance. This is also the name of his clothing brand, which is what violated the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

Wojnarowski reported in November that the league and Ball were looking for short-and-long-term solutions to the issue. Ball's defense is that the letters represent his middle name and the name of an uncle and that he has been using the initials long before they were representative of his clothing brand.

Ball has been out for seven weeks after suffering a sprained ankle Nov. 26. This injury occurred on the same ankle that he fractured in 2022 that ended his season early. He is averaging 24.7 points, 8.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 15 games this season.

He re-joins a Hornets team that has really struggled this season. The team currently sits at 8-27 and in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.