Following the Charlotte Hornets’ 115-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in November 2024, LaMelo Ball drew criticism for using the phrase “no homo” during a live postgame television interview while discussing the team’s defensive approach.
Watch What You Say
The comment quickly circulated on social media and prompted backlash from some fans, commentators, and LGBTQ advocacy groups. The incident later resulted in disciplinary action from the NBA, highlighting the scrutiny professional athletes face for public comments made during media appearances.
LaMelo Ball fined by NBA $100,000 for saying “No Homo” during a post game interview
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 18, 2024
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What may have sounded like an offhand remark to Ball ended up carrying a very real financial consequence.
Within a day, the NBA announced that Ball had been fined $100,000 for what league executive Joe Dumars described as “offensive and derogatory” language.
For Ball, the controversy arrived during a period when his profile was rapidly growing both inside and outside basketball.
The 23-year-old point guard has become one of the NBA’s most recognizable young stars thanks to his flashy style of play, social media popularity, and endorsement deals. In 2023, Ball signed a five-year rookie max extension with the Hornets reportedly worth up to $260 million. Around the same time, his partnership with Puma evolved into one of the company’s marquee basketball relationships, with reports valuing the deal near $100 million.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ball’s personal net worth is currently around $40 million, driven by salary earnings, endorsements, apparel launches, and licensing deals.
That kind of financial success also brings heightened scrutiny.
Ball’s rise to fame began long before he entered the NBA. Alongside brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball, he became part of one of basketball’s most visible families through the Facebook Watch reality series “Ball in the Family.” Their outspoken father, LaVar Ball, helped transform the family into a media phenomenon while simultaneously building the Big Baller Brand into a recognizable sports business venture.
But the family’s business history has not been without controversy.
Former Big Baller Brand co-founder and business adviser Alan Foster recently filed a lawsuit seeking $200 million in damages against Ball, Puma, and related business entities. Foster alleges trademark infringement, dilution, and other claims connected to Ball’s MB1 branding and footwear designs.
The lawsuit also revisits the fractured relationship between Foster and the Ball family, which publicly unraveled in 2019 after Lonzo Ball accused Foster of mismanaging more than $1.5 million tied to family business accounts. Big Baller Brand eventually dissolved and restructured under a new company formation.
Before beginning his next media availability, he issued a direct public apology.
“Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday,” Ball told reporters. “I really didn’t mean anything [by it] and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody and I don’t discriminate.”
Hornets head coach Charles Lee also addressed the issue publicly while emphasizing that the organization does not condone that type of language.
“At the same time,” Lee explained, Ball was “very apologetic” and committed to learning from the incident.
For Ball, the $100,000 fine was significant, but the broader lesson may have been even more valuable.
