Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will not play again this season after surgery Wednesday to repair his fractured right ankle, the team announced.
Ball sustained the injury during the third quarter of a win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday when he attempted to dribble the ball behind his back and went to the floor without contact from a defender.
Ball, 21, had dealt with three sprains to his left ankle which sidelined him for a total of 27 games this season. He has played in 36 games and averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals in more than 35 minutes per game.
The team said in a statement that the surgery was successful and Ball is expected to make a full recovery.
The third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Hornets, Ball was the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year made the All-Star Game last season. In 162 career games, Ball is averaging 19.4 points, 7.3 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in nearly 32 minutes per game.
The Hornets entered Wednesday with the fourth-worst record in the NBA at 20-43.
–Field Level Media