CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – One of the Charlotte Hornets’ star players was fined $35,000 for making what the NBA called an “obscene gesture” during a game this week.
LaMelo Ball made the gesture in the waning minutes of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Cameras appeared to catch Ball flash his middle finger at a referee after he was called for a charge. Ball was slapped with a technical foul immediately after, which Miami’s Bam Adebayo cashed in on.
Two days later, the NBA announced the fine.
Ball’s fine was the first confirmed by the NBA’s official communications account since the start of the regular season on Oct. 21.
Four games into the 2025-2026 campaign, Ball led the Hornets in points, rebounds, assists and steal. He was averaging an impressive 26.3 points per game, and his 9.5 assists per game was good enough to rank third in the NBA.
Charlotte fell to 2-2 on the year after the loss to the Heat, with its next game set for Oct. 30 against the Orlando Magic.
LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 after he made what the NBA called an “obscene gesture” during an Oct. 28 game.(Michael Laughlin | AP)
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