Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets veteran wing Gordon Hayward has overcome his extensive injury history to remain an effective player in the NBA, and he credits his workouts with a legendary ball player for helping to shape his resilient mentality.

While speaking on Podcast P with Paul George, Hayward explained how his time with Kobe Bryant helped him improve not only his on-court skills but also his mindset.

"I think the whole thing was him just like testing me like, 'Who is this? Does he want to work? Is he gonna be bulls--tting, like what's his deal? Because I'm not gonna put in the effort if he's not going to,' type thing," Hayward said. "From then on, he was kind of like in my corner and he taught me more than anything, it's just the mentality. I think that's what really took me to the next level, was that mentality."

Hayward has appeared in 25 games for the 7-23 Hornets and is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals. The 33-year-old is the second-oldest player on a roster filled with youth, as 35-year-old point guard Ish Smith is the only other player on the team over the age of 30.

Hayward's time with Bryant likely helped shape his leadership skills, which the Hornets desperately need amid their current 10-game losing streak.

Hayward will try to help Charlotte end the skid in Monday's game against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller has been ruled out of Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets with a right ankle sprain, the team announced.

Miller suffered the injury in the first quarter while driving to the basket on Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. While Miller was coming down after leaping up for a shot, Watson stepped on his ankle and both tumbled to the court.

Miller notched four points, one rebound and two assists in 11 minutes before exiting.

The 21-year-old has been mostly healthy this season, though he missed a Nov. 14 loss to the Miami Heat after suffering an ankle sprain in a Nov. 12 loss to the New York Knicks. He rolled his left ankle hard during the first quarter of that matchup and didn't return after playing just nine minutes.

Miller also missed a Nov. 30 win over the Brooklyn Nets with an ankle injury suffered in a Nov. 28 loss to the Knicks.

The Hornets selected Miller second overall in the 2023 draft out of Alabama and he's having a solid rookie season in Charlotte. He entered Saturday's game averaging 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24 games while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from deep.

Charlotte is already without Terry Rozier due to a knee injury, Mark Williams due to a back ailment and LaMelo Ball due to an ankle injury, so if Miller misses an extended period of time, the franchise could be in even deeper trouble.

Bryce McGowens and Nick Smith Jr. figure to see more playing time if Miller is sidelined moving forward.

The Hornets entered Saturday's game sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 7-19 record. They won't come close to contending for a playoff spot if they can't stay healthy.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges will be out for Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors, but it's not because of an injury.

While the team announced that he would miss the game for "personal reasons," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Bridges was denied entry to Canada on Sunday and the decision is unlikely to be reversed in time for him to play on Monday.

Bridges sparked speculation about his status for Monday's game when he tweeted and then deleted "Got denied in the 6" on Sunday afternoon.

While the Canadian government has not publicly provided a reason for denying Bridges entry to the country, it likely stems from his recent legal issues. After facing multiple domestic violence charges from a June 2022 incident, he eventually pleaded no contest to a felony charge of injuring a child's parent.

As part of his plea agreement, Bridges received three years of probation and was ordered to do 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, 52 weeks of parenting classes and 100 hours of community service. He also was ordered to comply with a 10-year criminal protection order for the woman, weekly narcotics and marijuana testing, and restitution.

Bridges missed the entire 2022-23 season and received a 30-game suspension from the NBA, 10 of which were to be served at the start of this season. Since returning, he has started 12 of his 14 appearances and is averaging 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Bridges' absence is another blow to a Hornets lineup that has been decimated by injuries. Star point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) and center Mark Williams (back) have already been ruled out, while veteran swingman Gordon Hayward is questionable with a stomach virus. The Hornets are looking to snap a four-game losing streak.

LaMelo Ball will be reevaluated in one week after suffering an ankle injury on Nov. 26.

The Charlotte Hornets (via ESPN's Marc J. Spears) said on Friday that Ball has made progress in his rehab and has begun individual activities.

Ball was diagnosed with an ankle sprain after the Hornets' game against the Orlando Magic on November 26 and has missed four games since. The Hornets take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday night and will be without their point guard for a fifth-straight game.

The Hornets are 6-13 on the season, losing three of their four games since Ball suffered his injury.

Ball is averaging 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season.

Ball is coming off of a season where he played just 36 games while dealing with a multitude of injuries — three of which were left-ankle sprains. He also suffered a season-ending right ankle fracture in February.

When he was healthy, Ball was playing the best basketball of his career. He averaged 23.3 points and 8.4 assists per game in the 36 games he played, both of which were career-highs.

Ball is looking to make a return soon to help his struggling team. The Hornets have won just six games on the season and sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, above just the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons.

The Hornets have not reached the playoffs since the 2016 season and look poised to extend the drought this season, especially if they cannot get Ball back on the court soon.

Miles Bridges may be playing for a team other than the Charlotte Hornets next season.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, "there's not a lot of confidence or expectation around the league" that Bridges is going to remain with the Hornets beyond the 2023-24 campaign.

Bridges pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in November 2022 following an accusation that he assaulted his then-girlfriend in front of their two children in May. He was sentenced to three years of probation as part of a deal with prosecutors but received no jail time.

He was also required to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and 52 weeks of parenting classes, serve 100 hours of community service and undergo weekly narcotics testing.

More recently, Bridges turned himself in on Oct. 13 after allegedly violating a protective order during a custody exchange on Oct. 6 (per WSOC-TV). He allegedly threw billiard balls at his ex-girlfriend's car, which caused damage to her windshield.

However, he returned to the team and has been appearing in games since Nov. 17.

"Miles Bridges is eligible to return to our active roster on Friday after serving his NBA suspension," the Hornets said in a statement ahead of his return, via the Associated Press. "We are comfortable with Miles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of the recent allegations and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds through the court process."

The NBA handed Bridges a 30-game suspension for his domestic violence charge. It ruled that he had already served 20 of the games in 2022-23, when he remained unsigned for the entire season, and had to serve the remaining 10 at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.

He's currently playing on a one-year qualifying offer worth roughly $7.9 million and will become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly fielding calls from playoff-caliber teams interested in forward Gordon Hayward.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the Hornets are currently committed to making their own playoff push but could adjust their thinking if they continue to struggle.

Charlotte is 5-11 and has the worst point differential in the Eastern Conference, and this is before losing LaMelo Ball to a severe ankle sprain. Ball is expected to miss multiple weeks of action, and it's hard to imagine the Hornets staying competitive without their best player.

That should give playoff teams an opportunity to pounce on Hayward, who will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season.

The biggest complication in any Hayward trade is his $31.5 million salary, which also comes with a 15 percent kicker. While he could choose to waive that kicker, any team that trades for Hayward will have to find matching salaries to make a trade work under the salary cap—not a particularly fun task for a 33-year-old role player.

Hayward's best path to a contender may wind up being in the buyout market in February. If a non-contending Hornets team wants to save a few million dollars, odds are a contender could help pick up the slack and make Hayward whole as a free agent.

Charlotte will undoubtedly continue listening to calls for Hayward up to the trade deadline, but it's hard to imagine they'd land much beyond salary filler and a second-round pick in talks. That could be enough to get a deal done if the Hornets want to feature Brandon Miller, whose playing time is impacted by Hayward's presence, but odds are they'll keep a grip on Hayward until the front office is satisfied with this season being a wash.

The Charlotte Hornets appear to have received some disappointing news regarding the status of star point guard LaMelo Ball.

Ball suffered a "serious" right ankle sprain and is expected to miss an extended period of time, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Hornets are also expected to take a "cautious approach" with his recovery.

Ball injured his ankle in a 130-117 loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

The 22-year-old went down awkwardly in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup after going in for a layup on Orlando's Paolo Banchero. He was helped off the court and didn't return to the game, finishing with seven points, one rebound and two assists in 15 minutes.

The ankle is the same one that Ball had surgery on in March to repair a fracture. He appeared in just 36 games last season because of the ailment.

Ball was off to a hot start to the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 15 games while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Losing Ball is a tough blow for the Hornets, which are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 5-10 record. Charlotte doesn't have much hope for contending without the rising star in its lineup.

With Ball sidelined, Ish Smith and Theo Maledon figure to see more playing time. It's also possible Terry Rozier will slide into the starting point guard role from shooting guard.

The Hornets are slated for an in-season tournament matchup against the New York Knicks on Tuesday before taking on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will not return to Sunday night's game against the Orlando Magic after suffering a right ankle strain in the second quarter.

Ball apparently suffered the injury following an awkward landing after a layup.

The Hornets guard had seven points, two assists and one rebound on 3-for-6 shooting from the field before exiting the game.

Ball is averaging 25.9 points per game in 14 starts this season and would be a major loss for the Hornets if he misses extended time.

Ball has also averaged 8.6 assists per game in what has been shaping up to be a career season for the Hornets guard.

His fall involved an awkward collision with Magic forward Paolo Banchero.

Ball was helped off the court and did not appear to be putting any weight on his injured right leg.

That exit is particularly concerning given Ball's history of ankle injuries. The Hornets guard played just 36 games in 2022-23 due to three left-ankle sprains followed by a season-ending right-ankle fracture in February.

When Ball returned to Hornets practice for the first time since the fracture in October, he wore ankle braces on both legs. Walker Mehl of Charlotte radio station WFNZ reported Ball has not used those braces during the regular season because they were painful to wear:

The Hornets know from experience they are a much better team with Ball. When he was healthy, the Charlotte team scored 6.8 points more per 100 possessions, per the Associated Press' Steve Reed.

After their contest with the Magic, the Hornets are heading to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to face the New York Knicks. The team will hope to receive good news about Ball's status before then.

If Ball is unable to play, Brandon Miller could see more playing time. The No. 2 pick of the 2023 draft started in Ball's place during the second half of the Hornets' Sunday game.

The NBA is requiring Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball to cover up one of his tattoos for a violation of league policy.

Ball must cover the "LF" tattoo below his left ear because it "violates rules against exposing commercial logos on players' bodies," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The tattoo reference's Ball's middle name, LaFrance. However, it is now also the name of his clothing brand, LaFrancé.

Ball and the NBA have had discussions about the tattoo over the last several weeks and will continue to discuss resolutions to the issue, according to Wojnarowski.

In an effort to avoid fines, Ball began covering up the tattoo ahead of Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat and he will continue to cover it up for Friday's in-season tournament game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Wojnarowski added.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank cited the league's collective bargaining agreement in a statement to ESPN regarding Ball's tattoo:

Per the (Collective Bargaining Agreement), players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games. We try to enforce the rule reasonably, in accordance with its purpose, and taking into account players' efforts to express themselves in a non-commercial manner. But LaMelo Ball's neck tattoo is in obvious violation of the rule and, accordingly, he's required to cover it.

Ball has told the NBA that the tattoo is in reference to his middle name and his uncle, according to Wojnarowski, who added that the point guard "had used the LF initials long before it became a brand."

The 22-year-old's representatives have also had the discussion with the NBA stating that several players have had what could be considered corporate logos on their bodies, including Jordan Brand. The league responded saying that those players did not have partnerships with those brands.

Ball, who is in his fourth NBA season, is off to a strong start to the 2023-24 campaign. He's averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 10 games while shooting 41.8 percent from the floor and 36.6 percent from deep.

However, the Hornets have struggled and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-7 record.

The Charlotte Hornets announced that rookie forward Brandon Miller will not return to Sunday's game against the New York Knicks after suffering a sprained left ankle during the second quarter.

Prior to getting injured, Miller was enjoying an excellent game with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, plus three assists, two rebounds and one block in 10 minutes.

The Hornets selected Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft out of Alabama.

Entering play Sunday, Miller was enjoying a solid rookie campaign with averages of 13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 three-pointers made per contest.

Efficiency has been an issue, as Miller was shooting just 41.9 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from beyond the arc, but he was making almost everything Sunday against the Knicks before being forced to exit.

In his one collegiate season at Alabama, Miller was one of the best players in the nation, averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for a Crimson Tide team that reached the Sweet 16.

The 20-year-old Miller was both the SEC Player and Rookie of the Year, and he was named the SEC Tournament MVP as well.

In the 2023 NBA draft, the Hornets had their pick of everyone besides center Victor Wembanyama, and they went with Miller over the likes of Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson.

Miller joined a supremely talented Hornets team led by a young core of LaMelo Ball, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams, as well as veterans Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.

Despite the talent, the Hornets were just 3-5 entering Sunday, and they could struggle to get back to .500 if Miller is forced to miss some time.

J.T. Thor will likely be the main beneficiary in terms of seeing an uptick in playing time if Miller's absence extends beyond Sunday's game.