The Charlotte Hornets have signaled a massive shift toward postseason contention by acquiring dynamic scorer Coby White from the Chicago Bulls. In exchange, the Hornets sent fan-favorite Collin Sexton to Chicago. The Hornets are betting on the North Carolina native as they aim to end a decade-long playoff absence. By DIAMOND VENCES| ROD BOONE
With a mentally exhaustive day over and another victory notched in the win column, Charles Lee happened to be in the midst of a lengthy explanation when he dropped an important nugget.
In the middle of detailing how the Charlotte Hornets held off the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night to keep their momentum, the coach gave an unsolicited shoutout to LaMelo Ball.
“Melo, I thought some of our coverage execution wasn’t as good in the first half because he didn’t read or he didn’t switch or he didn’t communicate,” Lee said. “We challenged him at halftime and he stepped up. I thought he had a couple of really big-time defensive possessions where he gets an individual stop.
“So, really proud of him for stepping up and giving us some good minutes.”
During this recent impressive stretch, which has the Hornets (26-29) bouncing into the All-Star break riding victories in 13 of their last 17 games, the steady play of Ball has been noteworthy.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball smiles after making a 3-point shot at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Feb. 11. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Quietly, the star point guard is demonstrating growth and his leadership qualities are blossoming. There’s a more selfless approach going on at the moment and the Hornets are flourishing because of it, climbing into territory that hadn’t been witnessed around the franchise in decades.
“Right now we’re just trying to do whatever it takes to win for real,” Ball told The Charlotte Observer. “That’s pretty much it.”
Given they’ll be without Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges for the next three games — in a back-to-back at home against Houston and Cleveland followed by a road date in Washington — that mentality will have to remain intact. As long as the Hornets have Ball at the controls, though, they can hold their own against any team in the NBA.
LaMelo Ball’s stats since Dec. 18
Since Dec. 18, commencing a string of 29 straight games Ball suited up in, his efficiency has been impressive. The 24-year-old is averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while draining 40% of his attempts beyond the 3-point arc.
His 116 made 3-pointers during that span are tops in the NBA — the lone player to total more than 100 throughout that same timeframe was New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III — and helped the Hornets boast an 18-11 record. Overall, they’re 23-22 with Ball in the lineup, and have been better in the clutch at the end of games, although that remains a work in progress and an area to be tightened up.
“We are still learning that,” Ball said. “I feel like day-by-day, the more we are with each other, we’re just getting better and better. But that’s going to come with it.”
Heeding the advice and suggestions from Lee and his staff will only help, as was the case against the Hawks. Lee felt he needed a little more from Ball on the defensive end of the floor.
And he made sure to mention it at halftime when the Hornets led by nine in a game that had tiebreaker implications in Charlotte’s bid to end its nearly-decade long playoff drought.
“Yeah, and by challenge, it’s not like you go at him, but definitely just try to make him aware,” Lee said. “Atlanta’s game plan, it seemed like they were trying to put him in almost every action. And so to make him aware of it, to let him see the plays in our film session of how they’re trying to attack him … And then for him to step up, I thought was big time.
“It just shows he continues to grow to be the consistent competitor trying to impact winning any way he possibly can, even at the end of the game. … So, just a super mature adjustment by him on both ends of the floor.”
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, left, reaches for the rebound past Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com
Expect that to continue to be more of the norm.
“It’s what I’ve got to do, definitely be a two-way,” Ball said. “We need everybody to play offense and defense on the court. So just trying to do that. Like I said, just do whatever is best to help our team win.”
Nods from his Hornets teammates
And it’s been noticeable to his teammates. Even the guy with the championship ring who serves as a veteran presence, the one who was re-signed Monday to continue voice for the youthful Hornets after being waived five days earlier in a roster crunch following the acquisition of Coby White.
“I just see the maturity level growing,” Pat Connaughton said. “I see his belief in not just his own abilities, but the abilities of the team. And then not just the abilities of the team, but what he’s capable of. He also knows he’s got four guys that are going to be playing with him and when he moves the basketball, it’s going to come back.”
Those types of lessons are part of Ball’s learning curve. The confidence has always been there. Now it’s getting honed and harnessed in a way that’s assisting in elevating everyone else around him.
“That was one thing I saw from the beginning of it here, was Melo’s desire to win and intent to win is genuine and authentic,” Connaughton said. “Surrounding him with guys that want to do the same, and then surrounding with a coach that wants to do the same, and then dribbling in a little veteran presence that has been there and has done that.
“He’ll listen, and he’ll respond, and he’ll do what’s necessary to win basketball games because that’s what he wants to do. And I think they’ve done a great job in this organization, ownership down, of getting the right people in the right places to help him.”
Which, the Hornets hope in turn, keeps shifting the franchise in the right direction.
“I feel like we are actually just changing the culture,” Ball said. “ And just trying to build something good.”