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We Caught Up With LaMelo Ball To See If He’s Ready To Put On A Show In Charlotte

It’s offical, LaMelo Ball will suit up for the Charlotte Hornets next season.

The 19 year-old was selected with the 3rd overall pick on Wednesday night, as the Hornets and team owner Michael Jordan drafted what they hope can be their franchise point guard.

As the NBA commissioner announced his name, LaMelo along with his older brother Lonzo, became the first brother pairing in NBA history to both be taken within the top five picks in the draft. LaMelo played down under last season for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia, and despite the franchise registering a league-worst 5-22 record, Ball was a bright spot as he sold out arenas and dazzled crowds throughout the country with his creative offence.

When his name was called and his NBA dream became a reality, OpenCourt-Basketball caught up with Ball to see if he’s ready to put on a show in Charlotte.

OpenCourt-Basketball’s Damien Peters: “It’s very well known that Charlotte needs their next showtime player. They need a franchise cornerstone. How do you feel like you’re going to step into that role, and do you think you can fill the arena in Charlotte now?”

LaMelo Ball: “Yeah, I mean, definitely. I feel like I can go out there and play basketball. I feel like I was born to do this. That’s really my answer right there.”

Since the departure of Kemba Walker, the Hornets have been searching for the next face of the franchise. Given LaMelo’s personality, flare and showtime offensive skillset, it’s likely Ball will elevate the franchise even higher than Walker was able to if he develops correctly.

Ball will team up with a promising core consisting of Malik Monk, PJ Washington and Miles Bridges, as well as scoring guard Devonte Graham who had a breakout year last season. The Hornets still have some undesirable contracts not the roster, most notably Nicolas Batum and Bismack Biyombo, but with the addition of Ball, they now have a young nucleus to grow together moving forward.

His game is far from perfect, and he still has room to grow on the defensive end as well as his outside shooting, but Ball has all the athletic tools, size and versatility at six-foot-seven to suggest he will transcend into one of the more unique guards in the association in the not-so-distant future.

The city of Charlotte desperately needed their cornerstone, and it looks like they’ve found it with LaMelo Ball.