Kyle Kuzma tilted his arm back like a quarterback about to hit a tight end on a go route. His target was LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers star had a step on the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball.
Not many defenders in any sport will stop James when he comes one step ahead with a cup of steam going downhill. But Ball took a shot and reached out behind him to try to slow James down while simultaneously spinning and sprinting back to the defense.
Ball had created the ability to break quickly by trying to shoot the ball past James – who raised a hand and tapped it to Kuzma. So it was Ball’s responsibility to stop it – even if it meant making his fifth foul and ending the Hornets’ impressive second half comeback on Thursday night in a 116-105 loss against the Lakers at Staples Center .
But the piece spoke volumes about Ball’s mindset in his first NBA game against James. It was, as he said earlier this week, just another contest for the talented rookie. Just play for the first time against one of the greatest players of all time. Just another yardstick that he will learn from.
“It felt good,” said Ball of his first game against James, with whom his stats in the first 20 starts of his career compare favorably. “But not too good, because we didn’t win.”
Thursday was Ball’s twentieth career start, and according to research from ESPN Stats & Information, Ball has averaged more points (19.8 to 16.5) than James during the first 20 starts of his career, shooting better from the field. (46.8% to 39.9%) and from outside 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 moved to the Hornets starting lineup until his 20th game this season – Thursday was his 40th career game. James also had the weight of the undisputed No. 1 overall choice in his draft class, and was taken by his hometown team.
Ball entered the league as something of a mystery, having skipped his senior year of high school and college to play abroad for two seasons before the Hornets fielded him No. 3 overall last fall.
But the youngest of the three Ball brothers has arguably been in the spotlight just as much of his life as James was in the competition. And had endured more doubters than James ever did, stumbling as a teenager in the Lithuanian league and walking around the family’s reality show on Facebook Live.
Those struggles and experiences, Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, once predicted, gave LaMelo the potential to be the best of his three sons.
“People ask me, ‘Who’s the best?’” Said LaVar in an interview with ESPN the Magazine in 2017. “I’m going, Lonzo is the best right now. He’s the oldest. But Melo is going to be the best because he has the most experience … he gets the most experience and the most s —. ”
The elder Ball has been noticeably quiet when his youngest son exploded into the NBA scene this year. Part of that is a function of geography – LaVar still lives in 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 back from the media spotlight, where he often overshadowed Lonzo when he started with the Lakers.
But LaVar has not been completely silenced. He did a radio interview with ESPN Los Angeles before Thursday’s game, doubling down on LaMelo’s comment that the game against James was not extra special.
“He doesn’t look at it like, ‘Oh, I play this guy!'” Said LaVar Ball on the “Mason & Ireland” show. “No, it’s competition … How will he be impressed by another man and your father is LaVar Ball?”
The boasting provoked laughter from the hosts. Indeed, several of his statements went viral, as they usually do. But as has been the case throughout the season, LaMelo’s talent has spoken for itself.
“He’s damn good to be that old,” James said of Ball after their matchup. “His speed, his speed, his ability to paint shots and baskets … and he will only get better. Every 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 very unique players in our league and they show it every night.”
James won against Ball and the Hornets this night, finishing with 37 points on 14-of-22 shots to propel the Lakers to their fourth straight win and pulling another round of MVP proclamations from his coach and teammates. .
But Ball seemed to be the leader for Rookie of the Year in every way, scoring 20 of his 26 runs in the second half when Charlotte came back from 15-point halftime to narrow the lead to 86-85 on Ball’s 3-pointer by 10 minutes, 13 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
LeBron and LaMelo after they first faced each other 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wuZ9fMU6Db
– ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2021
“You could feel his excitement early on,” said Hornets coach James Borrego. “He wanted to play well and prove that he belongs in this class. … I think he was a little anxious at first, but he calmed down and slowed … I thought he was great on the track. I liked being there. struggle and his competitive spirit. “
His mistakes were aggressive ones, not because of extra pressure that matched the four-time MVP. The foul on the free path, which gave James two free throws and the Lakers the ball in subsequent possession, showed Ball’s competitiveness to get back on the defensive after a turnover.
“It was just a little stupid mistake that I have to learn from,” Ball said of the turnover (his sixth of the evening), sending him to the bank for the next 5:27.
The Hornets even stayed with the Lakers during that stretch. But they didn’t have enough time to set up a rally when Ball finally came back with 1:43 to go and the Lakers were 112-101 higher. Ball scored four runs in the time remaining, but James and the Lakers ended it quite easily. After the game, Ball spoke briefly with the media and then returned to the team hotel.
Because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Ball’s first NBA game in his hometown was a lone one. The Hornets will stay in Los Angeles on Saturday to play against Clippers. In a normal year, he could have seen hundreds of family members and friends, just like his older brother during his time with the Lakers. But these are not normal times.
“Life is weird now,” Ball said with a shrug when asked about the non-homecoming. “Everything feels very normal, to be honest. So I don’t really know what’s going on.”