Kyle Kuzma tilted his arm back like a quarterback about to hit a closed spot on a route. His target was LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers star took a step into Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball.
Not many defenders in any sport will stop James when he steps forward with his head steaming down the hill. But Ball took a chance, reaching back to try to slow James down as he spun and ran back to the defense.
Ball created the opportunity for attack by trying to throw the ball away from James – who raised his hand and deflected it towards Kuzma. So it was Ball’s responsibility to stop him – even if it meant scoring his fifth foul and ending the Hornets’ impressive recovery in the second half on Thursday night, with a 116-105 loss to the Lakers at the Staples Center.
But the move spoke volumes about Ball’s mentality in his first NBA game against James. It was, as he mentioned earlier in the week, just another game for the talented newcomer. Just another first time playing against one of the greatest names in the league ever. Just one more measure with which he will learn.
“It was good,” Ball said of his first game against James, with whom his stats in the first 20 career matches compare favorably. “But not very good, because we didn’t get the victory.”
Thursday was Ball’s 20th career start and, according to the ESPN Stats & Information survey, Ball averaged more points (19.8 to 16.5) than James in the first 20 games of his career, shooting better in the field (46.8% to 39.9%) and beyond the 3-point line (43.2% to 31.5%).
Of course, it is not a perfect comparison. James started the first 20 games of the 2003 season in Cleveland, while Ball was not transferred to the Hornets’ starting lineup until his 20th game this season – Thursday was his 40th career game. James also had the weight of being the unquestioned number one overall choice in his recruiting class, and of being chosen by his hometown team.
Ball joined the league as a mystery, having skipped his final year of high school and college to play abroad for two seasons before the Hornets climbed him to 3rd overall last fall.
But the youngest of the three Ball brothers probably lived as much of his life in the spotlight as James did when he joined the league. And he endured more doubts than James ever did, when he stumbled as a teenager in the Lithuanian league and played on the family’s reality show on Facebook Live.
These struggles and experiences, Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, once predicted, were what gave LaMelo the potential to be the best of his three children.
“People ask me, ‘Who’s the best?'”, LaVar said in an interview with ESPN the Magazine in 2017. “‘I will, Lonzo is the best now. He’s the oldest. But Melo will be the best, because he was more experience … he is having more experience and more … ‘”
The oldest Ball has been noticeably quiet while his youngest son has exploded onto the NBA scene this year. Part of that is due to geography – LaVar still lives at his home in Chino Hills, an hour east of Los Angeles, while Lonzo is in New Orleans and LaMelo is in Charlotte. Another part is a conscientious decision to step away from the media spotlight, where he often overshadowed Lonzo when he was starting with the Lakers.
But LaVar has not been completely silenced. He gave a radio interview with ESPN Los Angeles before Thursday’s game, in which he doubled with LaMelo’s comment that the game against James was nothing special.
“He doesn’t look at it like ‘Oh, I’m playing this guy!'”, Said LaVar Ball on “Mason & Ireland”. “No, it’s competition … How will he be amazed by another man and his father is LaVar Ball?”
The ostentation provoked laughter from the hosts. In fact, several of his statements went viral, as they often do. But, as has been the case throughout the season, LaMelo’s talent spoke for itself.
“He is very good for his age,” said James of Ball after the confrontation. “His speed, his speed, his ability to make kicks and baskets in painting … and he will only get better. Each game is a learning experience for him. He will get better as the season goes on and his career continues.
“He and ‘Zo are two unique players in our league and they show it every night.”
James got the better of Ball and the Hornets tonight, finishing with 37 points from 14 out of 22 shots to propel the Lakers to their fourth successive win and pulling in a new round of MVP proclamations from their coach and teammates.
But Ball seemed to be the favorite for the Rookie of the Year, scoring 20 of his 26 points in the second half, while Charlotte recovered from a deficit of 15 points at halftime and reduced the lead to 86-85 with a 3-point basket from Ball with 10 minutes and 13 seconds for the fourth time.
LeBron and LaMelo after facing each other for the first time 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wuZ9fMU6Db
– ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2021
“I could feel his excitement early on,” said Hornets coach James Borrego. “He wanted to play well and prove he belongs in this championship. … I think he was a little anxious at first, but he calmed down and slowed down … I thought he was fantastic in the final stretch. I liked his fight and his spirit competitive. “
His mistakes were aggressive mistakes, not because of any extra pressure compared to the four-time MVP. The free-kick, which gave James two free throws and the Lakers the ball in possession, showed Ball’s competitiveness to return to defense after a comeback.
“It was just a stupid little mistake that I have to learn,” said Ball of the turnaround (his sixth night), which sent him to the bench for the next 5:27.
The Hornets maintained the same level with the Lakers during that period. But they didn’t have enough time to set up any kind of rally when Ball finally returned with 1:43 left and the Lakers won 112-101. Ball scored four points in the remaining time, but James and the Lakers closed the game quite easily. After the game, Ball spoke briefly with the media and then returned to the team’s hotel.
Because of NBA health and safety protocols, the first NBA game of Ball in his hometown was lonely. The Hornets will be in Los Angeles to play against the Clippers on Saturday. In a normal year, he would have been able to see hundreds of family and friends, just as his older brother did during his time with the Lakers. But these are not normal times.
“Life is strange now,” Ball said with a shrug, when asked about not returning home. “Everything looks really normal, to be honest. So, I really don’t know what’s going on.”