LaMelo Ball's middle finger to referee during Miami Heat game has cost Charlotte Hornets star a $35k fine

The last match between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat on October 28, saw the latter win the game 144 to 117. It also saw Hornets star LaMelo Ball showing his middle finger to the referee after getting called for a foul. The "obscene gesture" was made during the final few minutes of the game, and the player's frustration with his team's performance and getting called for a foul led to him flipping the referee. And now, he has been fined a pretty good amount.

LaMelo Ball gets $35k fine after game against Miami Heat

In the last few minutes of the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, the visiting team somewhat knew the game was gone from their hands. In their frustration, LaMelo Ball accidentally kicked the ball at Heat star Davion Mitchell's face. He got called for an offensive foul and received a technical foul for his actions.


Adding to an already frustrating result, getting a foul was not the best combination - and Ball ended up flipping the referee off. Now, the league has put a fine of $35,000 on him, which he will have to pay. He scored 20 points during the game, best from the Hornets, but with Bam Abadeyo and Aaron Wiggins leading the Heat with 26 and 21 points respectively, they had no chance.

Charlotte Hornets have gone the middle way

Not the best start to their 2025-26 season, but this is also not the worst for them, as the Charlotte Hornets go into their match-up against the Orlando Magic tonight on a 2-2 run. LaMelo Ball is their star player, averaging 21.1 points since joining the league back in 2020. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and was named an NBA All-Star in 2022.

But injury spells have let him out of the court for long portions, and his career has not been able to have the lift he had hoped for, especially after such a successful rookie season. Hopefully, things can turn around for him as well as the Hornets as they make a slow but steady turn to their season.

Also Read: Will Chet Holmgren play tonight? Oklahoma City Thunder star misses 2 consecutive games including Washington Wizards