The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the last month, winning just one game since the second week of December. One of their problems was the absence of their leading scorer, as LaMelo Ball has been out since Thanksgiving with a sprained ankle. But the star guard returned on Friday, and the tattoo that made headlines earlier in the year was fully visible in Ball’s first game.
The NBA will no longer fine LaMelo Ball for his tattoo
ESPN Sources: As LaMelo Ball returns from a six-week absence tonight, the NBA will not fine him for failing to cover a tattoo below his left ear that the league had previously deemed a violation of rules against visible commercial logos. https://t.co/VYXQEo0Ggz
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2024
On November 17, it was reported that the NBA had issued a warning to LaMelo Ball over the tattoo that appeared just below and behind his left ear. The league cited a policy prohibiting players from displaying commercial logos on their bodies during games and ordered Ball to cover up the markings or face heavy fines.
Ball has the initials “LF” tattooed behind his ear, which the league believes is the logo of his personal clothing brand LaFrance. While that may be the case, Ball and his team have argued that the letters mean the middle name of the player, who shares the name with the company.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, it appears that Ball may have won the argument. The NBA insider tweeted just before Ball returned on Friday night, stating that the league would no longer fine him for not covering the artwork after previously stating it was a violation.
Ball had no coverage during his return on Friday and the tattoo was completely visible.
The Hornets are embarrassed by the lowly Spurs
LaMelo Ball is back. 🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/dz7Hj4BQPH
– Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 13, 2024
LaMelo Ball certainly made an impact in his return to the court, although it was more in terms of individual statistics. The Hornets faced another bottom-ranked NBA player, the San Antonio Spurs, on Friday, and were hoping to get a road win despite being 2.5-point underdogs.
But it was all for the Spurs all night, as San Antonio’s 66-45 halftime lead grew to 103-77 at the end of the third quarter. At that point, Charlotte’s bench had played 63 total minutes, going 2-for-17 and scoring a total of just 6 points.
Ball finished with 28 points that night, 15 of them on free throws. He also had five assists and five steals, but committed six turnovers in the game.
The Hornets will face the Heat next Sunday.
