LaMelo Ball
Slapped With $35,000 Fine
For One-Finger Salute At Ref
Published
LaMelo Ball‘s middle finger cost him a Honda Civic — the NBA just fined him $35,000 for flipping off a referee during the Hornets vs. Heat game this week.
The league announced the punishment on Thursday … days after the Charlotte star made an “obscene gesture” during the showdown at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Lamelo Ball flipped off a ref after getting called for a charge
pic.twitter.com/zlAliQC903
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) October 29, 2025
@BrickCenter_
It occurred in the last minutes of the matchup, when Ball expressed his frustrations after he was called for an offensive foul. He received a technical foul for his actions.
It wasn’t the only notable moment in the game for Ball — earlier in the night, he accidentally kicked the rock into opponent Davion Mitchell‘s face.
LaMelo accidentally kicked the ball at Davion Mitchell’s face.
(h/t @hovis)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 29, 2025
@TheHoopCentral
It’s obvious Ball was frustrated — the Hornets lost, 144-117, despite his 20 points to lead the team. Charlotte is currently 2-2 on the season … so it could be worse.
Ball — the former NBA Rookie of the Year — has averaged 21.1 points per game over six years with Charlotte. Still, it hasn’t been enough to get the Hornets back to the playoffs, which they haven’t done since the 2015-16 season.