On Wednesday, just before 5:00 p.m., LaMelo Ball was involved in a car accident. One person sustained non-life-threatening injuries. While the Hornets star was able to walk away, appearing not to be injured. The 24-year-old has a huge car collection of $1.2 million and already has a lawsuit and a bad reputation for his driving.
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Can the league take any action after the recent crash? Yes. For the NBA, incidents like this are typically handled as internal personnel matters, as the league usually waits for police reports and investigations to be finalized before taking action. DUI (driving under the influence), reckless driving, or other criminal activity can lead to suspension as the actions are deemed “detrimental to the league.”
LaMelo Ball was driving his camouflage-colored 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition when it crashed at the Trade and Tryon Streets intersection. It’s not known where Ball is going or coming from, but the Charlotte Hornets had practice earlier in the day. A video of the crash surfaced, in which he was seen exiting the vehicle.
BREAKING: We have obtained footage of the LaMelo Ball crash in Uptown Charlotte @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/BUgJrRCeZa
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) February 18, 2026
Officials have not confirmed what led to the crash or directly stated who was involved. Police have released no information on the incident. It’s not known if anyone will be cited for the crash. The incident happened when a gray Kia sedan was going east on Trade, and LaMelo Ball was going west on Trade and tried to take a left onto Tryon.
WSOC-TV also posted footage of Ball, wearing an aqua-colored Hornets hoodie, exiting his truck and entering another car before being driven away. Police were on the scene at the time. Another video confirmed that the left front tire of Ball’s truck was missing. The Hornets, the NBA, or any source close to the Ball family has provided no statement. This isn’t Ball’s first motor vehicle-related incident.
LaMelo Ball and his lawsuit
In a 2024 lawsuit, a woman claimed Ball hit her son with his car near the Spectrum Center in October 2023. The incident allegedly took place during a fan event hosted by the Hornets called “Purple and Teal Day at the Hive”. The mother, Tamaria McRae, stated that her son requested an autograph before the athlete ignored the request and drove off.
LaMelo Ball’s car was surrounded by fans while he was stopped at a traffic light. McRae claimed in the lawsuit that the Hornets star drove away “in a grossly negligent and reckless manner in that he accelerated his vehicle forward suddenly and without warning and struck” her son. “This is his hero, his idol, and he got run over by him,” a lawyer representing McRaes stated.
The family is suing both Ball and the Hornets for more than $25,000. Meanwhile, the Hornets claim they have no control over LaMelo Ball or the “public streets in Mecklenburg County.” Later, the Charlotte Observer reported that Ball is denying he’s at fault in response to a lawsuit. The case is apparently still ongoing as of February 2026, and no criminal charges were filed in the case.