Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball unharmed after car crash

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball emerged unscathed after being involved in a two-car collision in the city centre on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident, which occurred shortly before 5pm, saw Ball's camouflage-coloured, custom-made Hummer collide with another vehicle.

Video footage obtained by WSOC-TV in Charlotte depicted Ball, dressed in an aqua Hornets hoodie, exiting his truck and entering another car before being driven away, with police officers already present at the scene.

The footage also showed the left front tyre of Ball’s vehicle was missing, while the driver of the other car calmly exited his vehicle and walked towards Ball’s truck. No information regarding the other individual involved has been released.

A person familiar with the situation, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to discuss the details, confirmed Ball was not injured. A police report has not yet been made available.

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The crash took place hours after the Hornets had held their team practice. The Charlotte side, enjoying a strong run with 10 victories from their last 11 games, is scheduled to host the Houston Rockets on Thursday night as the NBA season resumes following the All-Star break.

The Hornets will then host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night prior to traveling to face the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.

This incident marks another instance of a professional athlete in Charlotte being involved in a road accident.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sustained a fractured back in a 2014 crash near Bank of America Stadium, less than a mile from Wednesday’s collision.

Newton was hospitalized overnight following the incident, but made a swift recovery as he only missed one game before returning to the court within a week.

More recently, in 2024, Panthers backup quarterback Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a separate two-car accident in the city.