CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fresh off a win Wednesday night, the Charlotte Hornets have confirmed all-star point guard LaMelo Ball is out for the remainder of the season. Ball did not play in Wednesday's 118-111 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers -- he's missed the last 29 games in a row.
Ball has played 58 of a possible 164 games over the last two seasons, just 35%.
Last July, Ball became the first Hornets player in franchise history to sign a rookie max extension.
Then in November, Ball suffered a right ankle sprain during the second quarter of the Hornets' loss to the Orlando Magic. An x-ray of his ankle at the time revealed no fracture, according to Sports Illustrated.
Ball had previously had surgery in March 2023 on his right ankle to address a fracture after he was injured during a game in February 2023. Ball was ruled out for the rest of the 2022-23 season after that surgery.
Before suffering a right ankle fracture, Ball suffered a sprained left ankle that caused him to miss the first 13 games of the 2022-23 season. The Hornets only had Ball for 36 games during the injury-plagued season. During last season, Ball averaged 23.3 points, 8.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game.
The Hornets said Ball will be continuing to recover from his right ankle injury through the 2023-24 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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