LaMelo Ball injury update: What happened to Charlotte Hornets star and when is he expected to return?

LaMelo Ball suffered another injury on Wednesday night when the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets 122-117. He re-injured his left ankle, making it the third time in a row this season.

The injury took place sometime in the third quarter when PJ Washington accidentally stepped on LaMelo's left foot. Both players went down but Melo was the only one who needed help standing up.

After the game concluded, the media asked LaMelo Ball about his thoughts on re-injuring the same ankle. Ball believes that there isn't anything to worry about and mentioned that he won't be getting an X-ray.

Based on how he felt after getting hurt, the player doesn't think that it's as serious as the first couple of times. The fact that he can still walk around with it is the reason why he isn't skeptical about it.

Ball said:

“I can walk and everything, So I’ll just take it day by day and see what it is. It doesn’t feel like them other ones so I think I’ll be straight."

---

Looking back at the first two left ankle sprains of LaMelo Ball

Oklahoma City Thunder v Charlotte Hornets

During the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Charlotte Hornets missed LaMelo Ball due to a left ankle sprain. The injury forced him to miss the first 13 games of the year.

He then made his season debut on November 13 against the Miami Heat when he put up 15 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. Three games after his debut, Ball re-injured the same left ankle after accidentally stepping on a fan's foot.

The second injury took place on November 16 when the Hornets faced the Indiana Pacers in a 125-113 loss. Despite being sidelined, Melo still managed to get 26 points and 6 assists in 37 minutes of play.

Nearly a month later, Ball made his return on December 14 against the Detroit Pistons when he put up a double-double performance with 23 points and 11 assists. From that point onward, LaMelo Ball was able to consistently play without getting hurt and is having the best season of his career by far.

Ball is currently averaging 23.5 points, 8.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. If he can manage to stay healthy until the break, Melo could be named to his second All-Star game. Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery.