The Charlotte Hornets have not had a great run in recent years, due in part to continued absences from LaMelo Ball as he’s dealt with a number of ankle injuries that have limited him to just 58 appearances in the last two seasons.
Charlotte will hope to build around a healthy Ball and Brandon Miller going forward, but their former Rookie of the Year and All-Star has some work to do to prove he can stay on the court. Off the court, Ball faces a different challenge in the form of a lawsuit from an incident that took place at last year’s Purple and Teal Day in October.
According to Jason Stoogenke of WSOC-TV in Charlotte, Ball is being sued for allegedly running over the foot of an 11-year-old fan, Angell McRae, who was seeking an autograph from the star as he left the arena. McRae suffered a broken foot from the incident.
An 11-year-old was waiting outside the Spectrum Center after the Hornets’ Purple and Teal Day. He wanted an autograph from LaMelo Ball
His mom says Ball didn’t sign anything. He sped off in his car and drove over the 11-year-old’s foot, breaking it.
A lawsuit has been filed… pic.twitter.com/fsvnmQVRNV
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) May 21, 2024
The family’s lawyer said they would have just sought to file an insurance claim, but the police report from the incident didn’t include Ball’s name or insurance information. The Hornets are also named in the lawsuit given it was a team event, with the suit citing there should’ve been better safety measures in place for fans seeking to get close to players.