A basketball star has faced swift punishment following a comment he made during a post-match interview over the weekend.
LaMelo Ball, 23, plays for the Charlotte Hornets. The team defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 115-114 on Saturday night.
Asked afterward about his team’s defensive play against Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo at the end of the game, Ball said, “We loaded up – no homo.
“That’s what we wanted, put a hand up and then live with the results.”
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LaMelo Ball has been fined $100,000 for offensive and derogatory language during his postgame interview.
— Zero Gravity (@zgsportsmedia) November 17, 2024
After the Hornets’ 115-114 win over the Bucks, Ball said “We loaded up, no homo”pic.twitter.com/nfq9IlORck
“No homo” is often used as a slang term by straight men to emphasize they didn’t do anything that could be construed as gay. It is regarded as homophobic as it suggests something “gay” is undesirable or to be avoided.
The NBA issued a statement calling the comment “offensive and derogatory”. It said Ball, who has 10million followers on Instagram alone, was being fined $100,000. This is the maximum fine for a rule break of this kind.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/eBXmqGaExw
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 17, 2024
Some NBA fans questioned the size of the fine, pointing out that Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas was fined just $40,000 for making the same remark in 2023. Others suggested Ball should have said “Pause” instead, which is another slang term meaning the same thing but is a little more ambiguous.
Ball himself appeared to respond to news of the fine with a facepalm emoji on Twitter and a caption saying, “hol up pause dat…🤦🏽♂️”
Could’ve just said pause and saved 100k
— LFC (@LetFieldsCook) November 17, 2024
“I don’t discriminate”
On Sunday, the Hornets lost 128-114 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Speaking to reporters afterward, Ball began by addressing his comments the day before.
“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday,” he said. “I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”
Hornets coach Charles Lee said, “As an organization, that is obviously not something we condone. Our standards and what is required of our players in the environment we create is really important to us.”
“I spoke to Melo and he’s obviously very apologetic. From what I’ve seen since I’ve been around him, he loves everyone. He’s a joy to have around the facility and it’s not typically how he operates. He and I talked about the seriousness of the situation and how he needs to conduct himself going forward.”
Ball’s $100,000 fine is unlikely to trouble him too much. According to Spotrac, he’s on track to earn $35 million in salary this year.
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