The Hornets lost to the Heat earlier this week by the lopsided score of 144-117. It turned out to be an expensive loss for the one and only LaMelo Ball.
The Charlotte star scored 20 points to go with nine assists and eight rebounds on 6-for-18 shooting in the defeat. Not an awful showing, but the Hornets were still outscored by 19 in Ball’s 28 minutes on the floor so not exactly great, either. Despite the numbers, Ball’s entertainment factor was at an all-time high, as has often been the case throughout his NBA career. The highlight for this game was accidentally kicking a ball directly into Davion Mitchell’s face.
The lowlight, though, is what cost him. Ball was called for a charge late in the fourth quarter with the game well out of reach. He was not pleased with the call and appeared to make some sort of gesture towards the referee, potentially flipping him the finger, which earned him a technical foul.
In what sure seems like confirmation of that theory, Ball got slapped with a $35,000 fine on Thursday for “making an obscene gesture on the playing court.”
The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/SIiMD5a8NP
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 30, 2025
Not a small chunk of change. Although Ball won’t feel it as heavily as some of his teammates might. The point guard is slated to make $37 million this season in the second year of a $203 million max rookie extension.
The Hornets need him to start living up to that salary. Ball is a highlight machine who can pull never-before-seen plays out of absolutely nowhere. It makes him really fun to watch. But Charlotte has never won with him as the top option at an acceptable clip for the NBA, finishing only one season above .500 in Ball’s five with the franchise. Part of the issue has been roster construction, usually poor given the Hornets have been in tank mode for most of Ball’s tenure. But the man himself takes some blame for not playing winning basketball, especially defensively, and struggling to stay available; Ball has played over 50 games only twice in his career.
This year is a big one for him and the franchise as far as taking a tangible step forward. Getting fined for flipping off the ref in the final minutes of a blowout loss isn’t a great start on that front.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LaMelo Ball Hit With Steep Fine for Vulgar Gesture Towards Referee During Heat-Hornets.
