Under the watchful eyes of the many, including the new majority owners and an old acquaintance in Patrick Ewing, the day everyone affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets waited for finally arrived.
Preparations could truly begin for a season filled with expectations and the Hornets were, for the most part, whole. They had their star point guard on the floor during five-on-five action, bringing smiles to their faces given the difficult times without him.
LaMelo Ball was going full speedjust like the rest of them, participating in full-team, five-on-five scrimmaging for the first time since February, days before the March 1 ankle surgery that shelved him for the rest of the 2022-23 season.