There are stars in the NBA who have the recognition of taking their careers seriously and helping their teams win a lot of games.
However, there are also stars who don’t boast that serious label. For starters, one league executive named a player who is making $203,852,600 on his current contract as an “unserious” star. That player happens to be Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
Executive Named Hornets’ LaMelo Ball ‘Unserious’
Ball has garnered a reputation for being a highlight reel in the league for the Hornets. His ability to make deep 3-pointers and dish out flashy passes to his teammates has wowed crowds all over the country.
However, it hasn’t translated to a lot of team success. The Hornets have yet to make the playoffs throughout his stint, only reaching the play-in tournament twice. Due to injuries, he hasn’t been able to stay consistent on the court, as the team has fallen to the lottery in recent years.
NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line talked about Ball’s standing in the league during his Dec. 9 episode on Bleacher Report. He named the Sacramento Kings as a potential candidate to acquire Ball, but also mentioned that a league executive described the star guard as an unserious player.
“I don’t think Sacramento really is interested in LaMelo Ball,” Fischer said. “Everything (Kings general manager) Scott Perry has talked about, privately and publicly, since he’s taken over this team is wanting to re-establish a tough, gritty identity.”
“And someone today I was speaking to on the phone called LaMelo Ball the ‘most unserious player’ in the NBA,” Fischer continued. “That’s not my opinion; that was one prominent cap person in the NBA. I don’t think Sacramento would really view LaMelo Ball as someone to really re-invigorate their culture behind.”
🎙️ @JakeLFischer: “Someone I was speaking to this morning on the phone called LaMelo Ball the ‘most unserious player in the NBA.’ That’s not my opinion; that was one prominent cap person in the NBA.” 🙄 pic.twitter.com/qW83yLIEuX
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) December 11, 2025
Ball is going through his sixth season in the NBA. 16 games into this campaign, he is averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 assists, six rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting 38.6% from the field, including 28.5% from beyond the arc, and 87.7% from the free-throw line.
What’s Next on the Schedule for Ball and Hornets?
It doesn’t help Ball that the Hornets haven’t significantly improved with him being the top star. While it doesn’t entirely fall on him, his inability to have the squad in competition for at least a play-in spot would be a major concern in terms of his actual ceiling.
In the meantime, Charlotte hopes to bounce back from a poor start to the 2025-26 campaign. The team has a 7-17 record on the season, holding the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Brooklyn Nets and one game above the Indiana Pacers, while trailing the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks by 2.5 games.
The Hornets will continue preparations for their upcoming matchup, which will be at home. They host the Bulls on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET.
