It is not always that you play against your brother in an NBA game, and it is even rarer that the first instance of this type is broadcast nationally, so it must have been a special night for LaMelo Ball and his brother Lonzo Ball. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, 118-110, in the first ever game between the Ball brothers – not just in the NBA, but in all their lives. The long awaited event came to be known as “Ball Bowl”.
The first round of what will likely be many fights over the course of their careers was for LaMelo, who finished a timid double-double assist with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in 25 minutes and, most importantly, won the victory. If he had completed the feat, he would have become the youngest player to produce a triple-double in NBA history. As it stands, he is the youngest since LeBron James to score at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists – LeBron did this two days before his 19th birthday during his 2003-04 debut season, while Ball was 19 years old, 139 days old on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the older brother, Lonzo, fought throughout the game, getting 1 to 7 in the 3-point range, ending with five points, three assists and two rebounds. Statistics aren’t everything, especially for a player like Lonzo, but LaMelo had a plus-five in his minutes, while Lonzo ended up with a minus-7.
The most unstable moment came with time running out in the third quarter, when LaMelo took a 3-point step back over his brother’s outstretched arm to reduce New Orleans’ lead to five.
No night involving a member of the Ball family could end without controversy, however. With the Hornets leading in the final minute of the game, LaMelo caught the ball on the wing with the kick timer slowing down and prepared to kick, but instead passed the ball to Miles Bridges, who was forced to launch the ball towards the basket with less than a second left. This prompted ESPN’s broadcast team to question whether Ball could be hunting for his tenth assist, thus harming his team in the search for NBA history.
After the game, Hornets veterinarian Bismack Biyombo looked bored or angry with his new teammate, although we still don’t know why or if he could be kidding.
Regardless of the ending, LaMelo played an incredible game. After a goalless debut in the NBA, Ball presented some striking numbers while looking extremely comfortable despite his age. He entered Friday’s game with 36-minute averages of 17.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists, but cracked the 30-minute mark just twice in his nine games. Ball is still figuring things out defensively and has two very good guards starting in front of him, Terry Rozier and Devonte ‘Graham, but you have to think that if he continues to play so well, Hornets coach James Borrego will have to do find a way to let your fun newbie more time on the court.