For some, the number on the jersey is nothing more than a number. For others, it is of paramount importance. LaMelo Ball belongs to the second category. He campaigned for two years to recover the number 1 Charlotte Hornets and finally managed to get it.
Charlotte Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball is officially changing his jersey number from No. 2 to No. 1 for next season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/aR9GbWXqte
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 18, 2022
Ball’s jersey was almost always flocked with a “1” on the pitch. He wore it in high school, at Chino Hills, as well as at Spire Academy. He obviously kept it in Australia, when he played for the Illawarra Hawks before his draft. But when he arrived in Charlotte, the number was unavailable.
Malik Monk, drafted in 11th position in 2017, had already taken it. This is why the point guard had to refer to number 2. When he left the Lakers in the summer of 2021, LaMelo Ball simply missed the deadline to request the change. A mistake that then obsessed him throughout the season.
“I fight every day [pour changer de numéro]. I really want to be myself on the pitch and playing with number 2 makes me feel uncomfortable.”he explained in September.
If he was – it seems – not himself on the ground, endorsing the 2 still succeeded well for him. The 2021 Rookie of the Year has had an excellent season, during which he was selected for his first All-Star Game.
At just 20 years old, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds this year. However, even in April, this number story had still not come out of his head. A detail that has probably turned into an obsession.
“It’s supposed to happen. I should never wear number 2 again in my life,” assured the player at a press conference.
LaMelo Ball is finally delivered from this bad patch. The leader will find the number he wanted so much next season. Will this have an impact on its performance? Probably less than the arrival of Steve Clifford on the bench instead of James Borrego. But who knows? Maybe this return to normal will allow him to play even better, with clear ideas.
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