NBA World Reacts To LaMelo Ball’s Performance Tonight
The Charlotte Hornets began their 2021-22 season on Wednesday night at home against the Indiana Pacers. That meant reigning Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball got to take the court in front of his own rabid fanbase.
And he didn’t disappoint.
Ball exploded for 31 points, seven assists and nine rebounds in just his second season opener. He went 11-for-23 from the floor and shot a remarkable 7-of-9 from beyond the arc in his 32nd NBA start.
Ball was masterful on Wednesday in the Hornets come-from-behind, 123-122 victory over the Pacers. He became the third-youngest player in league history to score 30+ points in a season opener at just 20 years and 59 days of age.
Not only was Ball’s performance a perfect follow-up to his Rookie of the Year campaign, but he also helped lead the Hornets in a massive comeback effort. Charlotte trailed 75-59 at halftime before going on a 23-2 run in the third quarter.
Ball has all of the tools to make a major leap in Year 2, but nobody could’ve anticipated him coming out of the gates so fast this season. NBA Twitter still loved every second of his performance on Wednesday and joined together to celebrate his sophomore debut.
LaMelo Ball (20 years, 59 days) is the 3rd-youngest player with 30 points in a season opener in NBA history. Only Lamar Odom (19-361) and John Drew (20-18) were younger. pic.twitter.com/CvYUwUbyQV
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2021
TOLD YA SO 🕺
Tonight's @HusqvarnaUSA Player of the Game is @MELOD1P #AllFly pic.twitter.com/OnMEzLToQb
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 21, 2021
LaMelo Ball tonight:
✅ 31 PTS
✅ 9 REB
✅ 7 ASTBall (20 years, 59 days) is the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 30p/5r/5a in a season opener.
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) October 21, 2021
LaMelo has 28 POINTS and the Hornets just went on a 23-2 run 👀 (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/gr7e9uMj5W
— Overtime (@overtime) October 21, 2021
Yeah I mean, LaMelo is absolutely killing for Charlotte. This third quarter is superstar shit.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) October 21, 2021
We’ve known about a lot of high school phenoms. But we’ve never quite seen the development of an awkward preteen into an All Star caliber player like LaMelo before pic.twitter.com/9rmPLoHC7v
— #HonkHonk (@ColeyMick) October 21, 2021
LaMelo is getting hot from downtown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0WyS7pyoXu
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 20, 2021
LaMelo getting “MVP” chants from Hornets fans.
(via @wzaldridge)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 21, 2021
Ball’s rookie year was a rollercoaster, so the Hornets will be pleased to see him start out so fast this fall. Even with his early struggles last season, the former high school sensation was able to right the ship and put together an impressive campaign.
In a year that featured a fractured wrist and a battle to get into the starting lineup, Ball managed to average 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 35.2 percent from three. His playmaking ability was on display all season long, which made for quite a few viral clips throughout the year.
Ball’s performance on Wednesday is part of an ideal start for Charlotte, which hopes to make a leap up the Eastern Conference standings this season. So long as their star point guard keeps playing at such a high level, the Hornets should be in good shape.
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