NBA disciplines Hornets star LaMelo Ball for play on Miami’s Bam Adebayo
Barely 24 hours after LaMelo Ball’s play on Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, the NBA handed out its discipline for the act.
Upon review, the Charlotte Hornets’ star point guard was hit with a Flagrant 2 foul and fined $35,000 “for making unnecessary and reckless contact,” the league announced on Wednesday night. Ball was also fined an additional $25,000 for using profane language during a live postgame television interview.
But that’s the extent of it.
No suspension is forthcoming, which will ensure Ball is available for Friday’s game against the loser of Wednesday night’s play-in tournament matchup between No. 7 Philadelphia and No. 8 Orlando. Friday’s winner captures the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and meets No. 1 Detroit in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs on Sunday.
With just under 11 minutes remaining before halftime against the Heat, Ball got knocked to the floor following contact with Miami’s Simone Fontecchio during a drive to the basket. Replays showed while still lying on the court, Ball’s left hand swiped at Adebeyao’s right foot.
Adebayo, the Pinetown native and North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball in 2016 who registered the second-most points in NBA history (83) during a win over Washington in March, walked gingerly to the locker room and never returned.
Ball insisted the play wasn’t intentional.
“I apologize on that one,” Ball said. “I got hit in the head, didn’t know where I was. But I’m going to check on him and see if he is OK and everything.”
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t happy with Ball’s role in the play.
“I don’t think it’s cute, I don’t think it’s funny,” Spoelstra said. “I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player is out. I’m not making excuses. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had opportunities to win.
“That’s a shame. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game. Tripping guys. Shenanigans. Somebody has got to see that. And he should have been thrown out of the game for that. … There’s no place in the game for that.”
As for why the incident didn’t get reviewed by officials initially, that’s simple according to crew chief Zach Zarba.
“The play wasn’t whistled in real time,” Zarba said when asked about the play by The Charlotte Observer for a pool report. “Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed. Play was stopped after a change of possession, and then a timeout. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.”
Still, Zarba didn’t discount the NBA’s office would take a look at the play.
“At this point, that goes to league operations and they’ll make a determination on that in the coming days,” Zarba said. “So, they will make that determination and go from there.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 8:53 PM with the headline "NBA disciplines Hornets star LaMelo Ball for play on Miami’s Bam Adebayo."
