Luka Donu010diu0107, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball. Those are the only three 20-year-olds in NBA history to average 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game in a season.
Before his third season has even began, Ball is in rarified air. Already named Rookie of the Year and an All-Star, he’s racking up accolades at a rate which no Charlotte Hornets player ever has before while establishing himself as a league-wide presence with his penchant for daring assists, circus layups and deep pull-up threes. To borrow one of Ball’s favorite phrases, “it’s up” already for the young playmaker, and has been for a while.