NBA to Review Lamelo Ball Tripping Bam Adebayo, But It’s too Little too Late
As a fan of the Miami Heat for over 20 years, admittedly, it’s a bit difficult for me to write this without bias, but it hasn’t proven impossible. The 2026 Play-In game between the Heat and the Charlotte Hornets was a great basketball contest between two deserving squads, trying to solidify a place in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. However, what transpired between the Hornets’ Lamelo Ball and the Heat’s Bam Adebayo appeared to be an egregious foul that the referees in the game essentially let slide. The result of the moment in question led to Adebayo being sidelined for the rest of the crucial game with a back injury, and Ball scoring the final points to secure a victory for the Hornets.
With that being said, per a report from Senior NBA Insider for NBA on Prime, Chris Haynes, the league is now set to investigate Ball’s actions, delivering a decision prior to the Hornets’ next game on Friday, April 17. But to that I say, it’s too little too late in a game that was decided by one point and deserved immediate action from the referees in the moment. The latter sentiment was expressed quite loudly by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
Has Lamelo Ball Tripped Bam Adebayo Before?
If you didn’t see the play that has caused all of this fuss on April 14, here is a clip of it in slow motion. You’ll notice that Adebayo goes up for a rebound, and as he comes down, Ball immediately sticks his hand out and grabs the back of Adebayo’s lower leg, causing the Heat star to fall hard on his tailbone.
Is this a dirty play by LaMelo? pic.twitter.com/tPebBPDLDC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 15, 2026
Although it took a moment, Ball was eventually able to get up and was escorted off the floor, unable to return to the game. Amazingly, the refs didn’t call a foul on Ball. After the game, speaking to the press, Ball stated, “I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was, but I’mma check on him and see if he’s okay and everything.” (I'll state here that I think Ball's remark about being hit in the head and momentarily disoriented is plausible.)
During that same conversation with the press, a reporter directly asked if Ball intentionally grabbed Adebayo’s leg, and Ball just emphasized his point of getting in the head and offered an apology. However, has Ball tripped Adebayo before?
Well, according to the supersleuths running the Brick Center account on X (formerly Twitter), a resurfaced clip from a 2024 matchup between the Heat and Hornets shows Ball was on the floor in the game, and as Adebayo was running past him, Ball grabbed his leg. Thankfully, that time Adebayo didn’t fall. See for yourself.
This is the SECOND time this season Lamelo tripped Bam ???? pic.twitter.com/xvfgDN4V5s
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 15, 2026
The Miami Heat Are Still Out of the Playoffs Regardless
So let’s say the NBA reviews the play from the 2026 Play-In game and decides Ball was guilty of a flagrant 1, and more appropriately, a flagrant 2 foul. What does it matter now? The Heat are still done for the season. Had a flagrant 2 been called in the moment, resulting in Ball being tossed from the game, then perhaps the Heat would be playing on April 17 instead of the Hornets. But again, to be fair, both teams played hard in a hotly contested battle, so the Hornets did work hard to earn the W, even if some may view it with an asterisk.
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