The Charlotte Hornets are off to a 3-0 start, thanks in large part to LaMelo Ball playing like a young LeBron James.
Charlotte remains undefeated through three games. They beat the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets in their latest game Sunday, with Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way. The 20-year-old playmaker recorded 18 points on top of five rebounds and five assists, while the 23-year-old wing top-scored with 32 points to go along with nine boards and two dimes.
In the process, Ball became the second-youngest player in NBA history to post a 20-5-5 average through the first three games of a season. LeBron holds the record as the youngest to do so, recording the said averages during the 2004-05 season, per Basketball-Reference creator Justin Kubatko.
LaMelo Ball this season:
✅ 22.0 PPG
✅ 5.7 RPG
✅ 6.0 APGBall is the second-youngest player in NBA history to average at least 20p/5r/5a per game through his first three games of a season. Only LeBron James (2004-05) did so at a younger age. pic.twitter.com/2YiBslUSS2
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) October 24, 2021
LaMelo Ball has certainly picked up where he left off during his Rookie of the Year season, and he has clearly taken his game to the next level. While he was mostly a pass-first point guard in his first year–utilizing his epic court vision and ball-handling–he is now attacking the basket more often and initiating the offense.
In their opening game against the Indiana Pacers, Ball exploded for a near triple-double. The Hornets youngster scored 31 points and registered nine rebounds and seven assists to help the team erase a 23-point lead and escape with a 123-122 victory.
If Ball keeps up such production, he could very well end up breaking more LeBron James young gun records. It's not as if he's aiming for them, but Charlotte fans have to be happy they got such talent helping them win games.
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