Hornets guard LaMelo Ball fined $35,000 for obscene gesture

The NBA fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $35,000 on Thursday for making an obscene gesture during Tuesday night’s 144-117 loss to the Miami Heat, the league announced. Ball was assessed a technical foul for the act with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter; the league’s statement did not specify the intended recipient of the gesture. Ball remains available to play and was in the Hornets’ lineup later that night when Charlotte hosted the Orlando Magic.

The fine follows the referee’s technical call late in the blowout, and no additional discipline was imposed. Ball finished the Miami game with 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and is averaging 26.3 points, 9.5 assists and 8.3 rebounds across the Hornets’ first four games. The $35,000 penalty is the most recent in a string of disciplinary actions for Ball, who was fined $100,000 in 2023 for using offensive language in a postgame interview and has accumulated multiple technical fouls in his career.

Charlotte’s on-court struggles have extended beyond individual incidents. The Hornets have produced one of the NBA’s most potent offenses early in the season, but their defense has been leaky. Miami’s 144-point outburst...