The LaMelo Ball Narrative Has Flipped, Proving Outsiders Weren't Really Paying Attention

For years, Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was dubbed as "not a winning player." Someone who cared more about the flashy highlight passes, one-legged threes, and padding his stats rather than impacting the game in a positive way.

That was the narrative, and one no one in Charlotte bought into.

I've covered LaMelo since his second year in the league, and I still scratch my head at how that lazy narrative got created and how the national media and other basketball personalities continued to fuel it.

In recent months, the outlook on Ball has done a complete 180. He's widely viewed as the main reason for Charlotte's recent hot stretch that helped them to win nine straight and 10 of 11 heading into the All-Star break. That would be accurate. While his overall production may be slightly down, he's arguably playing the best basketball of his career, and that includes the work he's done on the defensive end.

All this proves is that those who got in on the whole "LaMelo isn't a serious player" thing had no clue as to anything that was going on in Charlotte. They'd look at the box score and see Charlotte constantly losing or see random highlights on social media where Ball took a bad shot, and it fit the agenda they were trying to push.

Here's what those folks don't realize...

Feb 11, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Well, let's start with the fact that LaMelo has always cared about winning. You could see it on his face after a game. He can't stand it and would be even shorter than normal in his responses to postgame questions. He just wasn't the big rah-rah guy that was going to be the main voice on this team, especially at that stage of his career. Calling guys out who are much older and have way more experience than you is an uncomfortable feeling for any player.

That's where part of the problem lies. Even to this day, LaMelo never had that veteran point guard on the roster that he could lean on, watch closely, and pick said person's brain. Once he became a full-time starter at the tail end of his rookie year, the Hornets' old regime didn't care to find that veteran presence. That's on them.

The Mitch Kupchak-led front office also didn't do a great job of surrounding Ball with a strong supporting cast. They were never in play for any notable free agents and made some big blunders in the draft after LaMelo joined the team. In 2021, they took James Bouknight, who turned out to be a bust in record time, and the following year, they decided to go with Mark Williams over Jalen Duren, who they initially drafted. Williams, of course, eventually lost out on playing time to a two-way contract guy in Moussa Diabaté and was traded from Charlotte twice, but only once if we're being technical.

Oh yeah, and the never-ending list of injuries

Mar 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

LaMelo missed a bunch of time himself over the past three seasons, so he didn't even have the opportunity to truly prove how special he is. But even when he was on the shelf, it was evident how crucial he was to this roster. They were dreadful without him.

Part of the "poor" decisions LaMelo made with the ball in recent years stemmed from having a G League-level roster around him. Brandon Miller missed a ton of time last year, Gordon Hayward was seemingly always banged up, Miles Bridges didn't play for an entire year, Mark Williams had a number of things, Cody Martin was in street clothes forever, etc.

With all due respect, you aren't going to win games or even be competitive for that matter when Svi Mykhailiuk, Theo Maledon, Bryce McGowens, JT Thor, Kai Jones, Leaky Black, Vasa Micic, Ish Smith, Nick Smith Jr., Aleksej Pokusevski, Nathan Mensah, Damion Baugh, DaQuan Jeffries, Isaiah Wong, and several others are on the roster and getting floor time.

Of course, not all of those guys were in Charlotte at the same time, and some of them were seeing the floor because of LaMelo's injuries, but it gives you a snapshot of the type of talent he had around him. Ball taking multiple low-percentage shots in games gave the Hornets a better chance than some of those guys getting open looks.

Now, he doesn't have to force things. He has actual NBA-level talent helping him out, and what do you know? He sure as heck looks like a winning player.

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