Despite all his stardom, even LaMelo Ball is no exception from the NBA’s rules. The Hornets star was recently forced to cover up a tattoo he got under his ear. The inscription that reads ‘LF’ went against an NBA clause, and the player was asked to cover it up before much time passed.
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Many have argued that the initials stand for nothing more than his middle name, LaFrance. However, the reason the NBA asked the star to cover it up, was because it was likely the exact logo of his fashion brand also named LaFrance. This forces the NBA to ask him to cover up the tattoo because the league will only let players promote brands they endorse.
That said, Andrew Schulz was not convinced by this logic. Instead, here is what he said on the matter, as seen in the YouTube video by ‘FLAGRANT‘.
“That’s corny, dude! Yeah, I’m sorry, that’a corny. Your body, your choice… As long as there’s not like a morality clause in it… But just like advertising a, like let’s say somebody had a f**king Rolex crown tattoo, you gotta cover that up? Because it’s Rolex?”
Like many others within the NBA community, Schulz is clearly against the NBA’s ruling here. Admittedly, it is hard to blame him, since a player should be able to advertise whichever brand they want. However, rules are rules, and this is one that the NBA has been consistent on for years. And so, whenever LaMelo Ball does come back from his heart-breaking ankle injury, fans will likely see him with tape under his left ear once again.
LaMelo Ball has no wiggle room
Many have wondered why LaMelo Ball has not appealed to the league that the tattoo was only a reference to his middle name, nothing more. However, it doesn’t help that his tattoo is identical to the company’s logo.
Until now, the NBA had admittedly been a bit lax with Ball. After all, the star has other tattoos as well related to his brand, including the phrases ‘Rare’, and ‘Be You’.
Admittedly, we do hope there comes a day when players can display any tattoo they have as much as they want. However, for now, Ball’s tattoo incident is only a part of a long line of the league forcing players to abide by the rules they have set, no matter how unfair they can seem.
