Hornets coach Lee apologizes for sideline collision with LaMelo Ball
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee blamed himself Monday night after an unusual first-quarter collision with star guard LaMelo Ball in the team’s 102-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The incident occurred Feb. 2, 2026, when Ball tried to save an errant pass from Miles Bridges near the Hornets’ bench. As Lee bent over to keep the ball from rolling into the stands, the All-Star guard sprinted toward the sideline and the two hit heads, sending Lee into the scorer’s table and leaving Ball on the floor for several minutes.
Ball suffered a one-inch cut above his right eye, which trainers sealed with medical glue before he returned to action. He finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists, committing only two turnovers as Charlotte secured its seventh straight win.
“Stupid … coach,” Lee muttered upon entering his postgame news conference, adding that he “took a play off” and never saw Ball coming. “I thought the ball was going out of bounds and I was going to save it. We went head to head. Credit to him — he didn’t yell at me too bad.”
Ball downplayed the collision afterward. “He went for the ball and I went for the ball, and obviously we bumped heads,” he said. “It was unfortunate, but hey, I’m still alive and breathing, so who cares? We got the win, so that’s most important.”
Lee continued coaching without leaving the sideline. He praised Ball’s quick return, calling it a sign of the 24-year-old’s growth. Ball scored 18 of his points in the first half while Charlotte erased a 22-point deficit, later adding a two-handed dunk in heavy traffic to help close out the game.
“It was a great job by him of responding to a foolish coach,” Lee said.
Source: ESPN
