The Charlotte Hornets scored their first victory of the preseason on Thursday, defeating the Orlando Magic, 123-115. This was thanks in large part to a tremendous showing from Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball. The 19-year-old left more than a few viewers impressed with his outstanding performance against Orlando, including none other than the legendary Dwyane Wade.
Wade took to Twitter to give Ball his stamp of approval:
Not so Breaking news: LaMelo Ball is a problem!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) December 18, 2020
Ball finished Thursday's win with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, to go along with two rebounds, five assists, a steal, and three turnovers. The third overall pick also caught fire from deep, draining four triples in 26 minutes of action off the Hornets bench.
This was easily Ball's best performance in a Hornets uniform, and it's encouraging to see that he's getting better in each game. He's come off the bench in all three of Charlotte's preseason contests, and it will be interesting to see if Hornets head coach James Borrego ends up inserting his prized rookie into the starting lineup somewhere down the road.
For his part, Wade has played with the best of them during what was an illustrious NBA career. The three-time NBA champ knows how to spot talent when he sees it, and he seems to have set his sights on Ball this early in the youngster's career. Needless to say, getting the nod of approval from a legend like Wade should go a long way in further increasing Ball's confidence level. Although it's not as if he needs any help in that department.
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