17-Year NBA Veteran Gets Critical of LaMelo Ball’s Hornets

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams had plenty to say about LaMelo Ball and the Hornets recently.

Dec 16, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives past Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia 76ers are currently grouped with the Charlotte Hornets in the Eastern Conference, they land in a category of teams who continue to struggle down the stretch. It’s been a tough go-round in Philadelphia, but one of their former draft picks, Lou Williams, recently sounded off on an Eastern Conference rival.

The Sixers hold the longest active losing streak with nine in a row, but the Hornets are behind them with five straight losses. A matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers was a 53-point beatdown. A loss against Sacramento was by a 42-point margin. Then, a matchup in Golden State left the Hornets with a 36-point loss.

Charlotte found better results against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but they still suffered a 103-96 loss. While the Charlotte star LaMelo Ball has been battling a setback that forced him to miss some time during this current stretch, Williams believes it starts with the one-time All-Star.

"Where is the pride? ... You lose a game by 50 points, you'd be damned if you lose by 50 the very next night."

Lou Williams on the Hornets having the worst 3-game stretch in NBA history@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 | @BoogieCousins pic.twitter.com/ZBuScTJuai

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 27, 2025

“We’re not giving [the Hornets] any excuses. This is led by the same person that we were rooting for two to three weeks ago to be an All-Star. If you lose a game by 53, then you follow that up with a 42, and then you follow that up with a 36? Like, where is the pride? Everybody’s got to share responsibility in how bad this is. If you lose a game by 50 points … you’d be damned if you lose a game by 50 the next night. That’s out the window! Then you follow that up with a 42? That’s not you—they’re not even competing.”

During the five-game losing streak, Ball made just two appearances. He contributed to five points on 1-10 shooting against Portland and produced 13 points with 3-13 shooting from the field in Sacramento. Clearly, Ball isn’t healthy, but that hasn’t stopped Williams from criticizing his stance as a difference-maker for a Hornets team that continues to struggle during his era.

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Hornets hold the second-worst record in the East at 14-44. They are well on their way to a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While the injuries certainly played a major part in the Hornets’ lack of improvement this season, Ball will certainly have all eyes on him moving forward as he’s viewed as the face of the franchise.

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