Austin Rivers reacted on social media to a North Carolina mother reportedly suing Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball for an incident involving her son.
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The incident occurred in early October when the Hornets hosted an event for fans in downtown Charlotte called “Purple and Teal Day at the Hive.” According to the lawsuit, Tamaria McRae is seeking damages in excess of $25,000 due to the incident.
“After attending the event, Tamaria McRae stated that her then-11-year-old son Angell Joseph, who is now 12, stood outside the arena’s employee entrance when Ball’s SUV exited the arena,” Baxter Holmes wrote.
“Ball stopped at a nearby traffic light, and fans, including Joseph, approached Ball’s vehicle. McRae said Ball looked at her son from his vehicle as Joseph stood next to it and, when the light turned green, alleged that Ball drove ‘in a grossly negligent and reckless manner in that he accelerated his vehicle forward suddenly and without warning and struck’ her son, ‘severely injuring him.’ She claimed that Ball then left the scene.”
McRae’s attorney, Cameron deBrun, stated that Joseph suffered foot and back injuries due to the incident. However, a report from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department doesn’t make the issue seem as serious.
“An incident report from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department that was obtained by ESPN said Joseph suffered bruises and scratches that were described as minor,” Holmes wrote.
For now, Ball and the Hornets have to let the legal process play out, and it will be interesting to see if the former All-Star guard receives any discipline from the NBA.
Ball appeared in just 22 games during the 2023-24 season due to injury. He still averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.
An All-Star in the 2021-22 season, Ball has been limited to just 58 games over the last two seasons. He’s played 51 or fewer games in three of his first four years, and the Hornets have struggled the last two seasons without him in the lineup.
Charlotte won just 21 games during the 2023-24 season, and it’s going to need Ball to remain healthy if it truly wants to see what a young core of him, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and others can do in the Eastern Conference.
