LaMelo Ball scored his 5th career triple-double vs Pacers, putting him amongst some incredible former and current NBA players
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Does anyone still remember when the Charlotte Hornets faced off against the Indiana Pacers in the play-in tournament in 2021? How Indiana not only won the game 117-144, but also humiliated Charlotte, by acting like they weren’t even in the middle of a game?
This really didn’t age well, did it? After all, not only have the Charlotte Hornets gone 4-0 against them this season, the amount the team blew them out by is no joke.
Much like the play-in game, this game was also played in Indiana. But the final score stood 158-126 in the Hornets’ favor this time around. And frankly, it could’ve been far worse if Charlotte didn’t ease up as much as it did since the 8th-minute mark of the 4th.
Everyone on the Hornets performed incredibly to make this victory happen. But LaMelo Ball especially was on another planet during this game.
The Ball brother had 29 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 11 of 16 from the field (68.8%), 3 of 4 from three (75%), and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line (80%).
Puma isn’t kidding when it says this man is out of this world.
But there was also a certain other factoid to note about his performance during this game. And it’s one you really don’t want to miss.
LaMelo Ball now stands amongst Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic
LaMelo Ball has been getting comparisons to Magic Johnson, and Luka Doncic for a while now. At the end of the day, the man is a tall point guard with incredible playmaking ability, and an affinity to get buckets when needed as well. And while many did say that Mavericks superstar and the Lakers legend were far too accomplished to be compared to just a second-year player with a fan base. But, it seems that the comparisons only keep growing stronger.
Take a look at the tweet below.
For context here, Before they turned 21, Luka Doncic had 21 triple-doubles, Magic Johnson had 7, and LeBron James had 5, the same number as LaMelo Ball now.
Firstly, allow us to exclaim how insane Luka Doncic is. 21 triple-double?! Before turning 21?! Lord have mercy.
But while he may never match his triple-double total, it seems LaMelo Ball may be well on his way to being a similar quality of player. And as fans, we can’t wait to see this star fully bloom into the kind of player he can be.
