Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball recently got some new ink, but it will be covered for the most part when he suits up for the Charlotte Hornets again.

The 2021-22 All-Star apparently made a recent visit to a tattoo parlor and got a sprawling design across his back that includes the phrase "Rare One" and an alien head.

Maybe Ball is trying to lay the groundwork to team up with San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama one day.

The dynamic playmaker is coming off a frustrating year. He was on pace for a big campaign, averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists through 22 games. Ball was sidelined first in November, though, before suffering what proved to be a season-ending ankle injury in January.

Without their best player, the Hornets notched 21 wins and finished 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Ball is about to start the five-year, $204.5 million rookie max extension he penned with Charlotte. It looks like we know where at least some of that money went.

After a report from earlier this week that former NBA guard and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick was interviewing for the Hornets head coaching job, it sounds like he's gaining traction for the position.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Wednesday that Redick is considered a "serious candidate" for the Hornets' vacancy and he "could have another interview soon as well."

Despite having no formal coaching experience, Redick has established himself as an innovative young mind in the world of basketball through his broadcasting endeavors.

After he retired from the NBA following a 15-year career in 2021, Redick quickly transitioned to a media career by joining ESPN as a studio analyst. He quickly rose through the ranks and began working as an in-game analyst this season. After Doc Rivers departed ESPN to become head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Redick was named to the company's No. 1 basketball broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

Also, Redick began co-hosting the Mind the Game podcast alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. In addition to showing his prowess in dissecting film, Redick has been able to match wits with James and display a level of basketball IQ comparable to one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen.

Charania noted that Redick has been interested in becoming a coach in the NBA for quite some time, so even if he isn't hired by the Hornets, he could garner interest from other teams with head coach openings this offseason.

"JJ Redick has a strong desire, potentially, to move into coaching. He's been public about that, privately I'm hearing that as well," Charania said. "If it's not Charlotte, there could be more interviews for JJ Redick in his future in this potential cycle."

The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly eyeing an interesting candidate in their search for a new head coach.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Hornets are interviewing former NBA shooting guard and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick for their vacant position.

Charania noted that Redick "has shown an interest in making a coaching jump in recent years."

The 39-year-old played 15 seasons in the NBA from 2006 to 2021 after a standout college career at Duke, where he was named National Player of the Year in his senior season. In the NBA, he suited up for the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

After retiring from the NBA, Redick became a studio analyst and quickly established himself as a rising star in broadcasting. He transitioned to game broadcasts this season and he was named to ESPN's No. 1 broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke when Doc Rivers took over as Milwaukee Bucks head coach.

Redick also has a prominent role alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in his new Mind the Game podcast. The two of them go in-depth in dissecting plays from past and present, showing their unmatched level of basketball IQ.

While Redick has never coached in a formal capacity, his commitment to studying the game and his past experience as a player make him a unique candidate for head coaching positions this offseason.

The Hornets are looking to find a replacement for Steve Clifford, who resigned earlier this month to take a front office role. Charlotte went 21-61 this season, which tied for the third-worst record in the NBA. The team has missed the playoffs in each of the last eight years.

The Charlotte Hornets are holding preliminary head coaching interviews with candidates including Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jordan Ott and former Vanderbilt head coach Jared Stackhouse, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Other preliminary interviewees include Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman, Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee, Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jay Larranaga, Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young and NBA G League head coach Lindsey Harding, Wojnarowski reported.

The Hornets are also interviewing Rockets assistant coach Royal Ivey, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The team is searching for a replacement for Steve Clifford, who coached the Hornets for the last two seasons during his second stint in Charlotte.

Stackhouse coached Vanderbilt through five seasons before he was fired in March as the Commodores completed a 9-23 season.

Vanderbilt bought Stackhouse out for over $15 million after he accrued a 70-92 overall record, including a 28-60 slate in the SEC, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.

The former Commodores coach said it was difficult to recruit and retain players due to Vanderbilt's struggles to counter NIL opportunities offered by other SEC schools, according to Dushawn London of 247Sports.

He brings NBA experience to the table after serving as an assistant coach for one season with the Toronto Raptors and another with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stackhouse also served as head coach of the Raptors' G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, whom he led to an NBA D-League title in 2017.

Ott is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Lakers. Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, he spent six seasons as an assistant for the Brooklyn Nets.

Now Ott could potentially reunite Charlotte Jeff Peterson and Ryan Gisriel, two former Nets front office members who recently left to join the Hornets.

The Lakers assistant earned a brief taste of NBA head coaching experience when he took the helm of the team during the 2022 Summer League.

Both coaches will join the long list of candidates being considered by Peterson to replace Clifford and continue the Hornets' ongoing rebuild.

As Steve Clifford prepares to step down as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets when their season ends, they are lining up candidates to interview for the job.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jay Larranaga is going to interview with the Hornets.

Clifford announced on April 3 he will step down in his current position and become an advisor in the front office next season.

The 62-year-old Clifford is in his second stint as Hornets head coach. He was hired in June 2022 after previously coaching the club for five seasons from 2013 to '18.

Charlotte has a 46-114 record under Clifford since the start of 2022-23 with four games remaining this season.

Larranaga is in his third season as an assistant coach on Tyronn Lue's staff. Prior to being hired by the Clippers, he spent nine seasons on as an assistant with the Boston Celtics for Doc Rivers' final year (2012-13) and all eight seasons of Brad Stevens' tenure as head coach.

The 49-year-old Larranaga has had multiple head-coaching interviews over the years. He spoke with the Hornets, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks in 2018.

Charlotte has missed the playoffs in eight consecutive years, including this season. It's the longest active postseason drought for any NBA team.

Larranaga has previous head-coaching experience with the Erie Bayhawks of the G League for two seasons from 2010 to '12. He was also the head coach of Ireland's national team from 2008 to '10.

The Bayhawks went 60-40 with back-to-back playoff appearances under Larranaga.

The Charlotte Hornets received permission to interview 2023-24 G League Coach of the Year Lindsey Harding regarding the team's head coaching opening, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harding guided the Stockton Kings to a record of 24-10 during the regular season, the best mark in the league. She also helped Stockton advance to the Western Conference Finals in the G League playoffs before falling to the Oklahoma City Blue.

Current Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is expected to step down at the end of the 2023-24 season and move into a front office role.

Harding was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, although she was immediately traded to the Minnesota Lynx. She spent time with six organizations throughout her career, suiting up for Phoenix as well as the New York Liberty during her final WNBA season in 2016.

She owns career averages of 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

Harding started as an assistant on the Toronto Raptors' summer league coaching staff in 2014 before she was hired and subsequently promoted to the role of player development coach by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.

She revealed that current Las Vegas Aces head coach and former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon helped her make the transition to NBA coaching.

"I played against Becky for years," Harding said in 2018, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "During this last season, especially working in the front office [program] and going to games, I spent some time talking to her. She was always telling me, 'You need to come. You need to come. We need more women here.'"

If she's hired by Charlotte, she'll look to turn around a team that has struggled to become a consistent postseason contender. With the Hornets sitting at 19-59 in 2024, they've now owned a losing record in eight of the past 10 years and haven't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.

The Charlotte Hornets are in the market for a new head coach after Steve Clifford announced that he is stepping down after this season.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Charlotte has secured permission to speak with four assistants regarding the job: the Boston Celtics' Charles Lee, the Denver Nuggets' David Adelman, the Sacramento Kings' Jordi Fernandez and the Phoenix Suns' Kevin Young.

Wojnarowski added Charlotte is expected to interview more candidates for the opening.

All four candidates have solid resumes worthy of leading to a head coaching gig.

Lee, 39, has worked as an NBA assistant since 2014, first under Mike Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks (2014-2018) before leaving town with him when he became the Milwaukee Bucks' head coach. Lee won an NBA title with the Bucks in 2021.

Lee then left the Bucks for the Boston Celtics after Budenholzer was fired in 2023. The Celtics just won their 60th game and clinched home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs in the process.

Fernández, 41, is both the Sacramento Kings' associate head coach and the Canadian men's basketball team's head coach. He has head coaching experience with the G League's Canton Charge in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and fared well each time (31-19 record in both seasons). Since then, he's worked on the Denver Nuggets' staff (2016-2022) before leaving for Sacramento.

Young was a strong candidate for the Suns' head coaching position before it went to Frank Vogel. The 42-year-old still serves as an associate head coach, a position held since 2021.

Young has five years of head-coaching experience on the G League level before getting promoted in 2016 to become the 76ers' assistant head coach under Brett Brown. He left in 2020 to become a Suns assistant.

Adelman, the son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman, NBA coach Rick Adelman, has been an assistant on the Nuggets since 2017. The 42-year-old began his NBA career as a player development coach in 2011. Five years later, he joined the Orlando Magic staff as an assistant. He then left for Denver one season afterward.

The Charlotte Hornets will have a new head coach next season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Steve Clifford informed his players and assistants on Wednesday morning that he will be stepping down as head coach at the end of this season. He is reportedly "working to finalize a front office role with the franchise."

At 18-57 entering Wednesday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Hornets have already been eliminated from postseason contention and will miss the playoffs for the eighth year in a row.

Wojnarowski noted that Charlotte's new executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin were still open to bringing back Clifford as head coach next season despite the team's struggles this year, but it was Clifford who "decided he wasn't prepared to commit to the year-round grind of head coaching for the 2024-2025 season."

The 62-year-old reportedly "didn't want to hinder the franchise's ability to compete for the top young coaches available in the marketplace," so his decision will allow the Hornets to get a head-start on their coaching search. The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets are currently being led by interim head coaches, so those teams will also be in the market for new head coaches this offseason.

Wojnarowski reported that the assistant coaches around the NBA believed to be candidates for the Charlotte job include Sacramento's Jordi Fernandez, Boston's Charles Lee, Miami's Chris Quinn and Phoenix's Kevin Young, among others.

Clifford took over as head coach of the Hornets before the 2022-23 season, marking his second tenure in Charlotte after he previously coached the team from 2013 to 2018.

The team finished 27-55 last season, and it's been hard for the squad to improve this year amid injuries to key players. Most notably, star point guard LaMelo Ball appeared in just 22 games before being shut down for the season due to an ankle injury.

The Charlotte Hornets announced guard LaMelo Ball will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season while he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

Ball has been out of action since Charlotte's 138-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26.

The 2021-22 All-Star was sidelined for more than a month earlier in the year because of ankle sprain. He returned to the floor on Jan. 12 but only appeared in seven games before his ankle once again proved troublesome.

The Hornets have already been eliminated from playoff contention and have 10 games left on the schedule. There wasn't much for the team to gain by bringing Ball back, and watching him re-injure his ankle might have provided some pause about the idea.

There's no question how good the 6'7" playmaker can be when he's healthy. He was averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 35.5 percent from long range before ultimately getting shut down.

But Charlotte will be somewhat concerned by the fact he has suited up for only 58 games across the last two seasons. Equally troubling is that a right ankle fracture is what prematurely ended his 2022-23 campaign.

Ball is positioned as a franchise cornerstone after having signed a five-year rookie max extension. A significant part of the Hornets' future is staked in him.

Next season is shaping up to be a pivotal one for both Ball and the organization.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball presented a signed jersey to a notable fan ahead of his team's clash with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Ball gifted the jersey to Adonis Graham, the six-year-old son of five-time Grammy Award-winning rapper Drake.

Drake's support of the Raptors has been well-documented, with the musician joining Toronto's broadcast on several occasions during the past few years. His love of basketball appears to be shared with his son, although Adonis seems to favor a certain Hornets All-Star.

The connection between the two goes far back. Adonis drew a picture of Ball back in 2023, which was posted to his father's Instagram story. The point guard responded by sending Adonis a pair of his signature Puma shoes (h/t HipHopDX on X).

Ball wasn't able to play on Sunday, however. He's missed 18 consecutive contests due to an ankle injury and has only appeared in 22 total games during his 2023-24 campaign. Head coach Steve Clifford did not have a timetable for his return when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

"He's doing the same stuff now he was doing two weeks ago," Clifford said, per James Plowright of Sports Illustrated. "He does whatever they [Charlotte's medical team] allow him to do...He wants to be back, but again he doesn't feel healthy enough or comfortable enough to play... I know he wants to get back, there's just a lot of factors"

When healthy, Ball has showed off the slick passing and long-range shooting that has endeared him to fans such as Adonis. In his 22 starts, he averaged 23.9 points and 8.0 assists per game on 43.3/35.5/86.5 splits.