LaMelo Ball catches stray from Bill Simmons during NFL QB discussion

Why on Earth was Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball mentioned during a mega-popular podcaster's conversation about NFL quarterbacks?

On Monday, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons unveiled his latest “NFL Quarterback Pyramid” during a new episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”. For those unfamiliar with Simmons’ pyramid, it’s essentially a hierarchical ranking of starting NFL QBs.

Bill Simmons compares LaMelo Ball to NFL QB

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray — Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warms up during a preseason game against the Chiefs at State Farm Stadium on Aug. 9, 2025, in Glendale. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Simmons and his guest, The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia, discussed Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, their discourse somehow found its way to Ball.

“I feel like I know how every Kyler Murray season's gonna go,” Kapadia said.

“There's gonna be some flashes in September. In October, someone's gonna make the case that he's playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL. There's gonna be some fun highlights, and then you're gonna get to the end of the season, and they're gonna be like 9-8.”

“That's the LaMelo Ball guy out of the quarterbacks this year,” Simmons added about Murray. “You catch the right highlight package, he looks amazing. There's gonna be a moment earlier in this season where you’re like, ‘LaMelo Ball, whoa, here we go!’ And then you look at the record at the end of the year.”

Ouch.

Did Ball deserve this treatment? In Simmons’ defense, there weren’t any lies detected in his comments. Ball is a human highlight reel, for one, and his team hasn’t won so far in his career.

The second detail, though, isn’t entirely Ball’s fault, but rather a reflection of the Hornets as a team. Charlotte has a .358 winning percentage since it drafted Ball in 2020, but the Hornets are much better when Ball plays (.424) than when he doesn’t (.266) in that span. Ball also represents the only All-Star selection from the Hornets since he was drafted. Perhaps he needs more help.

Mar 1, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks on during a free throw in the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Ball's natural talent has always been there. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game in his first season, running away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award after receiving 84 out of 99 possible first-place votes (Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards received the other 15).

It’s still too soon to assume that Ball can’t lead a winning team. Although he’s entering his sixth season, Ball still hasn’t turned 24 years old yet. Murray is older (28), but in defense of the comparison, he’s only played six NFL seasons.

Winning on the horizon for Ball, Hornets

Feb 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee talks with guard LaMelo Ball (1) during a time out in the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

While catching a stray from Simmons might’ve been unfair, Ball still has work to do to solidify himself as a franchise cornerstone. He has all the ability in the world, but durability remains a huge question mark. Ball has appeared in just 35 games per season over the last three seasons due to a myriad of injuries.

At the end of the day, Ball is still a couple of years away from the start of his prime. The Hornets are starting to build something special around gifted head coach Charles Lee, and a brilliant 2025 NBA draft class for Charlotte only helps the cause.

As Simmons alluded to, Ball has been a walking highlight reel since he stepped on an NBA court, and that’ll probably be the case until he retires. The next step in his career is to become a winner, and there’s no reason to believe that phase isn’t right around the corner.

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