LaMelo Ball Suffers 3rd Ankle Sprain Of Season

LaMelo Ball's left ankle is becoming a real problem for the Charlotte Hornets this season. For the third time in the 2022-23 campaign, Ball has gone down with an ankle sprain, though certainly, this was no fault of his own:

LaMelo Ball left the game vs. the Rockets with an apparent ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/p23argAq2j
— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2023

Teammate PJ Washington came down hard on Ball's ankle after they both jumped trying to swat the ball from a Houston Rocket player. Ball's foot twisted awkwardly under the weight of Washington's foot. He had to be helped to the locker room.

Afterwards, Ball tried to take a positive spin on what has become a frustrating repeated occurrence: “It feels a little bit better,” Ball said. “It doesn’t feel like those other ones. … I can walk, so take it day by day and see what it is.

“Stuff like this happens, I guess,” he continued. “But you’ve always got to look at the bright side. It could have been worse, so guess I’m blessed.”

It has been worse, twice. The All-Star guard has already missed 24 games this season due to bad sprains to the ankle on two occasions. Here's hoping this one isn't as serious, as Ball is speculating. No X-Rays were needed, so that's a promising sign.

If it's any consolation, Ball can take solace from the fact that Steph Curry suffered repeated ankle injuries early in his career, as well, and things turned out okay for him, to say the least. Curry wears an ankle brace that protects the joint, and perhaps that could be something for Ball to consider, as noted by a sports doctor:

This is the THIRD time Lamelo Ball has sprained his left ankle this season

—Time to consider the Zamst ankle brace what Steph and Trae wear
pic.twitter.com/w63VKLD5fV
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) January 19, 2023