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LaMelo Ball Likes 'AirBnB' Nickname for Connection with Hornets' Miles Bridges

Mike Chiari@mikechiariFeatured ColumnistFebruary 12, 2021

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, right, celebrates a basket by forward Miles Bridges (0) during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Toronto Raptors in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Charlotte Hornets rookie guard LaMelo Ball endorsed a clever nickname idea for his connection with teammate Miles Bridges on Friday.

Vacation rental home company Airbnb suggested Ball and Bridges use its name to refer to themselves, and Ball was an instant fan of the proposal:

Melo @MELOD1P

👀 now we talkin https://t.co/sZIwRjMXnm

Ball and Bridges have been a great combo this season with Ball often putting Bridges in great positions to score and finding him on some highlight-reel alley-oops as well.

The 19-year-old Ball, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, looks like the Rookie of the Year front-runner right now with averages of 14.3 points, 6.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

Meanwhile, Bridges is showing significant improvement in his third NBA season.

Bridges is averaging 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in a sixth-man role, and he is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc, which are up significantly from last season's 42.4 percent and 33.0 percent.

With Ball and Bridges performing beyond expectations, and the likes of Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington and Devonte' Graham performing at a high level as well, the Hornets have become one of the NBA's most exciting teams.

They are also one of the league's most pleasant surprises, as they are tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-14 record.

The Hornets have not reached the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, but with Ball running the show and getting the most out of players like Bridges, that drought may soon come to an end.