Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner recently appeared on the Run It Back Podcast via FanDuel TV to clear any misconceptions about LaMelo Ball, who was once labeled the “most unserious player” in the NBA by an anonymous exec.
According to Kalkbrenner, Ball has been a consummate professional, and he added that the Charlotte Hornets believe they can end their playoff drought this season. As of this writing, they are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 14-26 record.
“Now that I’m getting to know him on the team, he probably gets a little more hate in the media than he deserves. I think his attitude is better than most people think, and it’s been a lot of fun for me playing with him,” Kalkbrenner said of Ball.
“I think our locker room as a whole is great… it just feels like we’re so close to being a good team sometimes, and if we keep this together, I think we can make it,” he added of their playoff chances.
Charlotte Hornets News: Grant Williams opens up on the team’s chemistry
Grant Williams recently came back from a knee injury, and the Charlotte Hornets forward dished on the team’s playoff hopes before their 150-95 rout of the Utah Jazz on Saturday evening.
“We have a great chance to show commitment to the group as a team,” Williams said in his interview. “We have a bunch of talent on this team. Everybody’s young and wants to play. With this group, it’s all a matter of whoever’s at their best at the moment, we gotta support them.”
“You look at teams like OKC, like Boston in years past: whoever it was, they always had the love and support of their teammates. That’s what this group has to foster. We have a great group to do it. We support each other off the court; now it’s time to do it on,” he added.
