LaMelo Ball’s ill-advised comments after the Hornets’ 115-114 win over the Bucks in the NBA Cup have set him back $100,000. After leading Charlotte to victory with an incredible display, Ball was asked about the Hornets’ defensive scheme on the game’s final possession. They successfully managed to force Giannis Antetokounmpo into settling for a midrange jumper and prevented him from getting to the rim. But instead of giving an elaborate response, he said, “We loaded up, no h**o.”
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The guard, who finished the game with 26 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, and hit the two clutch game-winning free throws, may have thought his response was hilarious. However, the NBA did not appreciate his homophobic response and levied a heavy fine. The Hornets star seemingly wasn’t expecting to get fined for his comments. After the league announced the punishment, he responded to it on X, writing, “Hol[d] up, pause [that].”
hol up pause dat…♂️
— Melo (@MELOD1P) November 17, 2024
Ball isn’t the first player to receive a hefty fine for homophobic comments.
NBA players refuse to learn
In 2023, the NBA fined Nets’ Cam Thomas $40,000 for his homophobic remarks following the Nets victory over the Bulls. The guard was asked about former teammate Spencer Dinwiddle’s comment that Brooklyn only received the “best-looking guy” after trading Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks and getting Dorian Finney-Smith in return. Thomas responded, ‘We already had good-looking guys, no h**0.”
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic also used the derogatory slur in a post-game press conference in 2018. When asked about then-Bulls star Wendell Carter following the Nuggets’ overtime win in Chicago, the Serbian superstar said, “No h**o, he’s longer than you expect.” His poor choice of words cost him $25,000.
The last player to be fined $100,000 for homophobic comments was Kobe Bryant. In 2011, the league levied a hefty fine on the Lakers icon after he called referee Bennie Adams a “f**king f***ot” during a game against the Spurs. The guard later apologized for his remarks.
The NBA has a no-tolerance policy for anti-gay remarks and language. However, players continue to err and pay massive fines.
