Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan will speak at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on behalf of Kobe Bryant in May. It is only right that Jordan was bestowed this honor. The two of them shared a special bond and had a big brother-little brother relationship throughout the past two decades. Speaking on the behalf of someone of Kobe's stature is another thing to add to Jordan's ridiculous resume.
With all due respect to Kemba Walker, Jordan never had a player during his tenure as Hornets owner for whom he may have to prepare a Hall of Fame speech … until this season. Fortunately for MJ, he struck gold when drafting LaMelo Ball, and here are three reasons why Ball will be the first Hornets player Jordan inducts into the Hall.
3. Elite Playmaking
LaMelo Ball has already shown his ability to raise his teammates on a nightly basis. In just his rookie season with the Hornets, he has already shown he is a top-five passer in the NBA. Before going down with the injury, Ball was leading all rookies in assists and fit in flawlessly with the Hornets since being drafted.
Inserting Ball into the starting lineup midseason also allowed Terry Rozier the opportunity to play off the ball more. It is safe to say that is working out well for him. Rozier is averaging a career high in points at 20.7 per game this season and continues to play well with Ball sidelined. Also, it appears that Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington are playing their best basketball of the young careers since adding in Ball's ability to push the pace in transition.
2. Marketability
Being a star in this NBA requires you to be great on the court and somewhat marketable off it. Think of the countless amount of commercials and projects some players are a part of. LeBron James is a part of a Space Jam sequel, while Damian Lillard is on every other Hulu commercial, just to name a couple.
LaMelo Ball has already been a part of a Facebook show that gave detailed looks at how he and his family lived when he was only 15 years old. With that being said, the more people who know LaMelo would mean more tickets being sold to come to watch the man play basketball. The Hornets rookie has such a large fan base already that his name seemed to be trending almost every night with a highlight play. Being a marketable player might not be the top priority for most guys in the league, but it does benefit the organization in terms of ticket sales, apparel, and overall buzz about their franchise around the world.
1. Transcendent Hornets Talent
A ranking of ESPN's top players under 25 was released with LaMelo Ball at No. 3, right behind Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson. Sure, many people hate the list for a variety of reasons, but Ball has had a major impact on the league since coming in. The list is banking on potential instead of just the current skill level right now. Maybe the Hornets star could even end up being the best out of the given names on the list. He gets better every time he steps out on the court and is sure to take a massive leap each year that he is in the Association. He is already viewed as the franchise player at 19 years old, so we will see what kind of player he can develop into once he is healthy again.
Of course, by no means is Ball in the same class as Kobe Bryant, but it is always fun to speculate the what-if scenarios. Ball will likely go on to be in several All-Star Games, make All-NBA teams, and maybe even win MVP. Michael Jordan would certainly love to see his young star accomplish those goals and wind up inducting Ball into the Hall of Fame.
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