Charlotte Hornets

Austin Rivers pokes fun at report of mother suing LaMelo Ball for allegedly ‘striking’ son with car

Published by
Peter Dewey

Austin Rivers reacted on social media to a North Carolina mother reportedly suing Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball for an incident involving her son.

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.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Paul George: ‘Jared McCain can’t be our most consistent player’

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Jared McCain has played as well as any first-year player so…

4 hours ago

Antonio Brown offering to play for Steelers ‘for free’ to finish 2024 season

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown enjoyed his golden years in the league while playing…

5 hours ago

Jemele Hill blasts X amid LeBron’s social media break: ‘Full of racists, conspiracy theorists and jerks’

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James called out the amount of negativity in…

7 hours ago

Joel Embiid says ‘everything’ gets blown out of proportion with him: ‘I’m the reason for everything’

Following the Philadelphia 76ers' loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, the squad reportedly held…

9 hours ago

Ben Simmons’ agent dunks on media outlet that disrespected his client

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons laid an egg against the New York Knicks on Nov.…

1 day ago

Michael Jordan’s former teammate takes issue with G League plan for Bronny James

Former NFL safety Ryan Clark recently spoke critically of the fact that Los Angeles Lakers…

1 day ago