LaMelo Ball Suspension Reportedly Called For by NBA GM After Apparent Trip on Bam Adebayo
An NBA general manager reportedly expressed their belief that Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should be suspended after seemingly tripping and injuring Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo during Tuesday night's play-in game.
During an appearance Wednesday on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (starting at the 23:50 mark), ESPN's Tim Bontemps said he spoke with an anonymous GM who told him, "This guy's gotta get suspended, right?"
NBA insider Chris Haynes later reported that the NBA will review the play, with a ruling expected before the Hornets' final play-in matchup on Friday.
The play in question occurred early in the second quarter when Ball went down to the floor while getting blocked by Simone Fontecchio. While Ball was on the floor and Adebayo was grabbing the basketball, Ball grabbed Adebayo's ankle, and Adebayo fell backwards and hard onto his back:
Adebayo missed the remainder of the game due to a back injury, and the Hornets went on to win 127-126 in overtime, knocking the Heat out of playoff contention.
Ball suggested after the game that the trip wasn't intentional, telling reporters, "I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head [on the play] and didn't really know where I was. But I'm going to check on him, see if he's OK and everything."
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his belief that Ball should have been ejected from the game following the trip, telling reporters, "I didn't see it [when it happened], but I don't think it's cute. I don't think it's funny. I think it's a stupid play. It's a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player was out. I'm not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That's a shame. You should be penalized for that. I don't think that belongs in the game—tripping guys, shenanigans."
Ball was not called for a foul of any kind, and he went on to play a huge role in the Hornets' victory, finishing with a game-high 30 points, including the game-winning layup in overtime.
The Hornets are now just one win away from their first playoff berth since the 2015-16 season.
Whoever loses Wednesday's game between the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and eighth-seeded Orlando Magic will go on to face the Hornets in a win-or-go-home scenario on Friday.
As of now, the Hornets are slated to have Ball for that sudden-death game, but there is at least some support within the league for a punishment against the 24-year-old guard.
