The LaMelo Ball-Bam Adebayo leg-pulling incident continues to be in focus well after their play-in skirmish. The move, which saw no fouls called on the Charlotte Hornets superstar for pulling down Adebayo, was met with immense criticism.
The latest, however, might see Ball face some consequences for his actions. Per reports, the mercurial guard could face a suspension. On the game front, it was a thrilling finish with the Hornets edging the Heat 127-126 in overtime.
NBA World Weighs In on Possible LaMelo Ball Suspension After Bam Adebayo Incident
Earlier, NBA analyst and insider Chris Haynes took to X (formerly Twitter) to share an update on the controversial incident. This saw the NBA world share its thoughts on the matter.
“NBA to review Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball for taking out the ankle of Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in the 2nd Q, resulting in a hard spill and a back injury that cost him the rest of the crucial do-or-die play-in contest. Ruling expected before Hornets’ final play-in bout on Friday,” he posted.
“This is wild. Never forget the 2023 ECF Game 7 Celtics vs Heat when Jayson Tatum was injured on the first possession of the game. Zero chance Miami wins that game if JT was healthy,” read the Celtics Nation head honcho’s post.
This was seconded by analyst James Plowright, who wrote: “This was always likely to be reviewed by the league. For a suspension, they would likely need to decide the action was intentional. I am not convinced anyone can say that with complete certainty.”
Hornets Lead nixed the idea of suspending Ball. “Likely will be upgraded to Flagrant 1, as it should have been. Suspension? Don’t be silly. LaMelo in prime time with the playoffs on the line? He will be there,” the tweet said.
Another news handle, Knicks Nation, had a rather different example to share. “Embiid got a blind eye from the league, btw, when he did this against Mitch.”
The incident also prompted comparisons to the controversial sequence of events involving Joel Embiid and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks center’s right leg was grabbed by the 76ers’ big man, resulting in quite the uproar, much like the recent incident between Ball and Adebayo. Embiid was ultimately hit with a Flagrant 1 foul.
As for Ball, he apologized for the move. “I apologize for that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was, but I’m gonna check on him and see if he’s okay and everything,” he said, per The Athletic.
Only time will tell what the league decides. If there is indeed a suspension, it will be a major blow for Ball and the Hornets.
