On Wednesday, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was retroactively assessed a flagrant foul penalty 2 and fined $35,000 for the play on Bam Adebayo’s that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra described as “stupid.”

In the second quarter of the Hornets’ Play-In Tournament game against the Heat on Tuesday, Ball got his shot blocked, fell and then yanked Adebayo’s leg in frustration, sending the big man to the floor awkwardly. Adebayo left the game with a back injury and did not return. In a statement on Wednesday, NBA executive vice president James Jones described this as “unnecessary and reckless contact” that “created significant injury risk.”

The NBA also announced that Ball has been fined $25,000 for using profanity during his walkoff interview following Charlotte’s 127-126 overtime win.

Erik Spoelstra says Hornets’ LaMelo Ball should’ve been ejected over Bam Adebayo play; league to review

Sam Quinn

Ball was all over the place in the win that extended the Hornets’ season, and he finished with a game-high 30 points (on 12-for-31 shooting) and a game-high 10 assists in 40 minutes. Spoelstra told reporters that Ball “should’ve been thrown out of the game.” 

By giving him a flagrant 2, the league has effectively said that it agrees the play was ejection-worthy.

After the victory on Tuesday, Ball apologized and said he would check on Adebayo. He also told reporters that he “didn’t really know where I was” because he had been hit in the head.

Ball will not face a suspension for the incident. He’ll be in the lineup on Friday when Charlotte plays the Orlando Magic with the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs on the line.

Ball’s penalty is harsher than Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid received in a similar situation two years ago. In Game 3 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the New York Knicks, Embiid appeared to trip Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Embiid, who said at the time that he was trying to prevent Robinson from falling on top of him, was assessed a flagrant 1 during the game, and it was not upgraded afterward.