Hornets' LaMelo Ball Fined $100K by NBA for Offensive Comments After Bucks Game

The NBA fined Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball $100,000 for making an "offensive and derogatory comment" following Saturday's 115-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The comment from Ball—who hit a pair of game-winning free throws with seven seconds remaining—occurred during a televised postgame interview on the court.

Ball's game-deciding free throws weren't without controversy, as officials admitted after the contest that Giannis Antetokounmpo shouldn't have been called for a foul while Ball was driving to the basket.

"During live play we called illegal leg to leg to contact," referee crew chief Curtis Blair told reporters. "During postgame review when we looked at the play there was no illegal contact on the play."

The Bucks—who fell to 4-9 on the season and are now 21-28 since Doc Rivers took over as the head coach midway through the 2023-24 season—did not have any challenges, so the call stood.

"There was clearly not a foul," an irate Rivers told reporters after the game. "When you watch the video, the ref was blocked out by one of our players. You can't guess at the end of the game."

Ball, meanwhile, had a strong game, scoring 26 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists.

He's now averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds this season, shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Hornets are 5-7.