LaMelo Ball and Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee are reportedly not aligned, according to ESPN analyst and former long-time center Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins has been vocal about a potential relationship fracture between Ball and the Hornets alleging that the team is intentionally limiting his minutes ahead of a potential trade.
Perkins also described tensions between the Hornets’ star guard and his coach this week on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, suggesting Ball and Lee don’t see eye-to-eye.
“Oh, it’s smoke over there,” Perkins says of the dynamic in Charlotte. “The coach feels as if LaMelo is not his guy,” Perkins said. “The Hornets are gonna have to make a decision, it’s either trade LaMelo or fire the coach. Those two guys don’t see eye-to-eye. I’m telling you straight up, this is a fact, the energy is not there. The coach, he feels as if LaMelo is not his guy.”
Ball, drafted in 2020 as the No. 3 overall pick, is in his sixth season with the team.
Lee was hired before the 2024-25 season after multiple stints as an assistant coach, notably winning titles with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and Boston Celtics in 2024.
“LaMelo after a game, yelled in a hallway, and I quote: ‘F–k this motherf–ker,’” Perkins added, later reiterating, “They’re not on the same page, period.”
Warning: Adult Language
The reported tension comes amid a strange pattern of playing time for Ball.
Ball is averaging 19.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season while shooting approximately 41.3 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three.
However, Charlotte’s coaching staff has managed Ball’s minutes in ways that have drawn attention.
Ball is logging a career-low 27.8 minutes per game this season. On the second of a back-to-back against the Raptors on Jan 8, Ball came off the bench for the first time since his rookie year, and he responded by scoring 33 points in just 27 minutes.
Though he has dealt with yet another ankle issue this season, which has plagued Ball in recent years — contributing to just 105 games played over his last three seasons — Ball has dropped to just 26.2 minutes per game over his last 13, only hitting 30 minutes once.
The Hornets are actually 7-7 in their last 14 games, and despite being 14-25, the mark indicates their best start to a season since the 2021-22 season, Ball’s second year in the NBA.
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