Over the course of his short NBA career so far, LaMelo Ball has established himself as a box office star. And because of that, the Charlotte Hornets recently offered him a massive $260 million rookie max extension. And as a recent clip on Twitter revealed, the Hornets star was so happy with the deal, he made some bold claims about the upcoming season.
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Ball has signed for big money for five years now, bringing his average yearly income to $52 million, subject to contingencies. In comparison, over the course of his entire career, Michael Jordan only earned $94,000,000. Of course, once inflation is accounted for, the difference between Ball and Jordan’s salaries would be a lot less. Still, it is interesting to note that with his new contract, ‘Melo’ has already superseded MJ’s career earnings by a whopping $166,000,000.
LaMelo Ball makes some big claims before signing his new contract
Despite being one of the better players in the league, LaMelo Ball divides the NBA like few others. On one end, fans say that he is only good enough to become an All-Star for a few seasons here and there and sell tickets with his flashy moves. Others believe that he can be an MVP-caliber player, who can lead a team to an NBA championship.
However, even those with astronomical expectations of the youngster, believe he is still years away from achieving those things. Ball is still just 21 years old after all. But before signing his contract, the 2022 All-Star revealed that he wants it all during this upcoming season. Take a look at the tweet below Bleacher Report.
Melo’s rookie extension is subject to contingencies. The whole amount of $260 million will only be offered to him if he manages some feats, like winning the NBA MVP or securing an All-NBA selection. And the young buck is gunning for it all next season. He told GM Mitch Kupchak that he’ll be shooting for first team All-NBA and the NBA MVP next season, while discussing the contingencies in his contract.
Admittedly, LaMelo Ball does have the talent to win MVP at some point in his career. However, even by his standards, next season seems just a bit too soon. But what’s important is that he is shooting for those awards in the first place. And at the rate he is improving, who knows? He might just make NBA history.
Brandon Miller joined the hype train as soon as he signed with the Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball seems to have an energy that is infectious. In fact, his teammates have said just as much on multiple occasions. However, perhaps not all of it is a good thing. After all, right after he joined the Hornets, Brandon Miller was already making bold statements to the media. Take a look at this tweet by Bleacher Report to see what happened.
The Hornets in the NBA Finals next year?
During the best of times, this team can be a fun one to watch. And now, they even have a very good young core with LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and Miller. However, to be completely honest here, the team needs to focus on ending their 7-year playoff drought before even looking at the NBA Finals.
