LaMelo Ball responds to outside noise suggesting he should get out of Charlotte

The face of the Charlotte Hornets appears committed to the organization.

Mar 12, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) shoots against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images / Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

LaMelo Ball’s 2024-25 campaign ended a few weeks early when Ball and the organization decided to move forward with surgery on his right ankle and right wrist on April 2, 2025. This decision allowed Ball to get a head start on the rehab process for next season.

Ball shared with the media during his exit interview that he has turned his attention to getting healthy for next season. “Already been starting to train the right way, so happy with that,” Ball said. “Going to see my mom and pops and then when I get back I should be able to work out and just do everything for the next season. So I’m happy with all that.”

LaMelo was asked about his future in Charlotte and how he feels about the outside noise that suggests he should play in a major market like Los Angeles or New York. “Just being here, I love it. I mean, the fans are amazing. The living situation has been amazing. Everything's been solid,” LaMelo Ball said. “So all that you need to leave and this and that, I mean, when you build something, it's never just going to pop up and be the best thing. So you got to stay here, work it out, do what you are going to do, and see what happens if you're gonna try to make it work. You know what I'm saying?”

LaMelo Ball on being in Charlotte: “Just being here, I love it. I mean, the fans are amazing. The living situation has been amazing. Everything's been solid. So all that you need to leave and this and that . . . I mean, when you’re build something, it's never just going to pop up… pic.twitter.com/1urHIBeLCS

— Ashley Stroehlein (@ashstro) April 14, 2025

The focus outside of rehab for LaMelo this offseason will be strength.

“Our whole performance team will sit down and talk about what is that number maybe for weight and where body fat is and the body composition, but I'm going to leave it at, he's got to get stronger and he's got to be able to be ready for more physical defenses because he is such an important player on our team,” Hornets head coach Charles Lee explained. “That's the strategy. That was the strategy I've seen with [Giannis] Antetokounmpo when I was in Milwaukee, it was the strategy versus [Jason] Tatum in Boston. So when you're the best player in the league, you have to be ready for physicality and in order to kind of combat that, you got to get stronger.”

Ball says he is on board with the plan to get stronger for next season and beyond. “Definitely agree. Just be in the weight room, everything they saying, and just a little more.”

Hornets President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson says he has complete faith that Ball will be ready to go by the team's training camp in the fall and has endless potential moving forward. "Melo, he can be as good as he wants to be and we've seen that. He played at an all-star caliber level," Peterson said. "I told him this the other day, I've been fortunate and Charles [Lee] has too, to be around some great players in this league and Melo is very unique and does some things that no one else can do, quite frankly."

When Ball makes his return to the court, the organization will be looking for LaMelo to step up in two specific ways, defense and leadership.

"One, to continue to elevate his presence on the defense end, and the coaching staff has done a tremendous job of pushing him on that side of the ball, and he's responded," Peterson explained. "Then the second thing I think is just with his voice, just from a leadership standpoint, continuing to push guys in the right way and get the best out of them. Everyone knows he's our engine, and as he goes, we go."

Next season Ball will look to add upon his 2024-25 season, where he became the first Hornets player to average 25 points and seven rebounds in a season.

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