Angell Joseph, an 11-year-old boy, adored LaMelo Ball and went to get his autograph on October 7 but was allegedly hit by the player’s car.
Incident at the Arena:
After the event, Angell and his mom, Tamaria Rae, tried to meet LaMelo. Tamaria recalled her son excitedly asking for an autograph before LaMelo supposedly drove away. She initially thought Angell had just dropped something when he fell but soon realized it was serious.
Someone compiled clips of LaMelo Ball’s reckless and dangerous driving out of the Charlotte Hornets arena
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints)
Legal Actions Taken:
Tamaria decided to sue both LaMelo and the Hornets because Angell’s foot was broken. Their lawyer, Cameron DeBrun, said they couldn’t file a claim with LaMelo’s insurance since the police report lacked insurer details. So they had no choice but to take legal action against both parties.
I think it’s really sad that this happened to such a young fan.
The family believes more safety measures should be in place for fans meeting players.
LaMelo’s Injury Troubles:
LaMelo has only played in 58 games over two seasons due to ankle problems. His last game for Charlotte was on January 26. To avoid future injuries, he’s considering wearing protective braces again over the summer.
“I’m going to see over the summer, try some stuff,” Ball said about using ankle braces again. If he finds something comfortable, “we can go from there.”
Summer Plans and Future Goals:
With his ankle finally better now, LaMelo aims to stay healthy and compete throughout the summer. “My favorite thing to do is play basketball and not being able to do it is just horrible,” he said. He plans on making his ankle as strong as possible during this time.
The star player signed a rookie max extension worth up to $260 million over five years last offseason. Before getting injured again this season, he averaged 23.9 points per game along with other impressive stats while shooting 36% from three-pointers .
The Hornets’ Playoff Aspirations:
Charlotte’s management hopes pairing him with Brandon Miller will help them reach playoffs after eight long years apart. However, consistent player availability remains their biggest challenge according to LaMelo: “We just need everybody available.”
