LaMelo Ball excited about Hornets' future after inking max extension

The Charlotte Hornets are building around point guard LaMeloBall and view him as their franchise centerpiece. If this was everin doubt, look no further than the maximum five-year, $260 millionextension that the Hornets recently gave Ball.

Last season, Ball averaged 23.3 points, 8.4 assists, 6.4rebounds, 4.0 threes and 1.3 steals, while shooting 41.1% from thefield, 37.6% from three-point range and 83.6% from the free-throwline. However, injuries kept him sidelined for much of the season,as he only appeared in 36 games last year.

Ball said he's now 100% healthy, and he's excited about thefuture in Charlotte.

“Where we at, I feel like we are all growing together,” Balltold the Associated Press onWednesday. “I think it’s just a great position and I think we areall going the right way now...

“All my years here, I’ve had a good time. Life wasn’t bad. Thebasketball aspect, if that’s not really going well, then you wantto just live your life and have fun. You want to be living well,and in Charlotte I’m doing that. It all just felt like a greatchoice."

Ball is grateful for his big payday. He was one of four playersfrom his draft class to earn a max extension this summer, joiningMinnesota's Anthony Edwards, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton andMemphis' Desmond Bane.

“Growing up, my pops always said pressure was finding your nextmeal, finding where to sleep, stuff like that. I’m pretty muchblessed," Ball told the AP. "I just have toworry about playing good. Really no problems. I’m straight.”

The next step for the Hornets is to make the playoffs andeventually become a contender.

“We have not had great success as a team, which is somethingthat will change,” Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak told the AP. “To have a playerlike him back with us, just to come back to us, it’sexciting...

“I’m not thinking we necessarily have to add more talent. Ithink the talent we need to get where we want to go is already inthe system. Now, it’s just going to take a little time to geteverybody up to speed and get to where we want to get to. I don’tthink there’s a major area that needs to be addressed.”

Last season, Charlotte went 27-55, which was the second-worstrecord in the Eastern Conference. They won the No. 2 overall pickin the 2023 NBA Draft, selecting Brandon Miller (likely because hefits better alongside Ball moving forward than No. 3 overall pickScoot Henderson would have).