Hornets star LaMelo Ball breaks his ankle against Pistons and will reportedly miss the rest of the season

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball underwent surgery Wednesday to repair his broken right ankle, the team said.

The Hornets also confirmed that his season is over. They expect him to make a “full recovery” but did not give a timeline for his return to court.

ball broke his right ankle in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. He fell onto the court after putting down his right leg on a crossover dribble in the third quarter. The injury did not involve contact with another player.

Ball went to the locker room after the injury, and X-rays showed the fracture, which the Hornets announced shortly after the 117-106 win over the Pistons. The injury ends an injury-plagued season for the third-year star.

Ball missed the first 13 games of the season with a Grade 2 sprain in his left ankle. He injured his ankle again three games after his return and was sidelined for another 11 games.

An All-Star in his sophomore NBA season, Ball has shown progress on the court as he has had the opportunity to play this season. In 35 games leading up to Monday, he averaged a career-high 23.4 points and 8.5 assists along with 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 36.7% from 3-point range.

The Hornets have regressed this season after a 43-39 campaign in 2021-22, due in part to Ball’s injuries and Miles Bridges’ continued absence following a domestic violence charge. They improved to 20-43 with Monday’s win, good for 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of the 15-47 Pistons.

Both teams will be in contention for the top pick in the NBA lottery in a draft that will feature generational youngster Victor Wembanyama and elite talent Scoot Henderson.