LaMelo Ball reveals secret behind Hornets’ success

LaMelo Ball says chemistry has been at the center of the Charlotte Hornets’ recent surge, as the team continues one of the most notable in-season turnarounds in the league.

Ball discussed the Hornets’ success in an interview shared by the NBA on X, formerly known as Twitter, emphasizing the group’s connection on and off the court.

“Everybody friends, you know everybody cool, looking out for one another so it’s just all love for real. And you feel like a real family, and if somebody is down we’ll pick them up. And that’s just how we go.”

Charlotte’s improved play has followed a difficult stretch earlier in the season. The Hornets fell to 16-28 after a 94-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 21 but have since rebounded to 36-34 following a 130-111 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The surge has pushed Charlotte into the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Over the past 15 games, the Hornets have been among the NBA’s most efficient teams on both ends of the floor. Charlotte ranks eighth in scoring during that span at 117.2 points per game while leading the league in three-point shooting, averaging 19 made threes on 40.4% accuracy.

Defensively, the Hornets have also made significant strides. The team has allowed just 106.4 points per game over that stretch, the fourth-best mark in the league, trailing only the Boston Celtics (102.1), New York Knicks (103.7) and Oklahoma City Thunder (105.6). Charlotte’s 10.8 net rating during that period ranks first in the NBA.

Buzzing energy at Hornets practice

Go behind the scenes with Coach Charles Lee and Kon Knueppel mic’d up before Charlotte hosts Memphis tonight at 7:00pm/et on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/E4Mp7rZ2if

— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2026

LaMelo Ball’s production fuels Hornets’ playoff push

Ball has played a central role in the turnaround. The 24-year-old guard is averaging 19.5 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season while shooting 40.4% from the field, 36.4% from three-point range and a career-high 89.7% from the free-throw line across 60 games, including 57 starts. He is averaging 27.6 minutes per contest.

With momentum building, Charlotte remains within striking distance of a higher playoff position. The Hornets sit 2.5 games behind the Orlando Magic (38-31) for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte will look to extend its current two-game winning streak Saturday night when it hosts the Memphis Grizzlies (24-45) at 7:00 p.m. ET as part of a seven-game homestand.

As the regular season enters its final stretch, Ball’s emphasis on chemistry continues to define a Hornets team that has rapidly reestablished itself as a competitive force in the Eastern Conference.

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