LaMelo fined $100K for derogatory postgame comment
Warning: Story contains offensive language
The NBA fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $100,000 for making an offensive and derogatory comment following his team's 115-114 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, the league announced.
Ball made the remark after being asked about how the Hornets defended Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Bucks star missed a pull-up jumper from the top of the key on the last play.
"Yeah, we loaded up, no homo, but that's what we wanted," Ball said on the live broadcast. "Put the hand up and just live with the results."
Hornets head coach Charles Lee told reporters Sunday that he spoke with Ball and that the 23-year-old was "very apologetic," per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
"I look forward to seeing him grow from this moment, but I definitely did just want to start off by saying we apologize," Lee added.
Prior to Antetokounmpo's miss, Ball converted two free throws with 7.1 seconds left to put the Hornets up by a point. However, officiating crew chief Curtis Blair admitted postgame that the referees incorrectly called illegal leg-to-leg contact against Giannis. Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the loss that he believed "the final play was the ref blowing a call."