Zip it, LaMelo Ball! Adam Silver had enough. The NBA had enough. And a part of the audience had enough. Games on prime-time TV are a family affair, and that’s why the emphasis is on keeping post-game interviews PG. But Lamelo did everything but that. He kept walking on a tightrope, and finally, that backfired, as Adam Silver was forced to take action to crack down on the behavior.

The league announced a decision through a press release that’ll deal a hit on LaMelo’s wallet. “The NBA has fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $100,000 for offensive and derogatory comments in postgame interview on Saturday”, Shams Charania Reported. This came after LaMelo’s comments following the win over the Bucks. During a post-game interview, the 23-year-old point guard said, “We loaded up, no homo.”

Some might believe the fine amount was a bit too harsh compared to what Anthony Edwards received for his troubles. The Timberwolves guard flipped off at the crowd during the game against the Kings. But LaMelo’s case was a bit different. Apart from the derogatory comment, the fine might be a culmination of previous post-game interview comments. Last month his post-game comments went viral after his answer seemed to have force stopped an interview at Toyota Center. “That’s my brother right there, that’s my dog. Like I said, he’s gang, I’m gang. We’re chilling all the time, I f**k with his family,” LaMelo said. Yes, that’s right in case you missed it.

Incidentally, Nikola Jokic was also fined for saying the same words in 2018. “No homo, he’s longer than you expect,” the Serbian said about Wendell Carter Jr. The amount, however, was $25,000. A classic example of inflation right there. Jr. Ball’s habit of dropping the F-bomb isn’t something new. The point guard has a documented history of using the F words.

LaMelo Ball’s history of profane-filled interviews

Using the F-word during games is nothing new. With the adrenaline pumping and emotions running high, some profanity can be excused. Despite that, the NBA also deals with these instances with strictness as tech fouls are given away like Christmas cookies. But in the post-game interviews, those words can be heard loud and clear on the mic. For someone like LaMelo who lacks that filter, interviews often turn into an NSFW affair.

During Thanksgiving last year, the young guard was unable to keep his emotions in check talking about the food. In a post-game interview after the Wizards game, LaMelo blabbered out his whole Thanksgiving menu in his own words. “I mean I got a chicken, the turkey, ham, sh*t what else am I f**k with? That’s about it, maybe some other sh*t. Oh! Peach cobbler, the dessert, yeah my girl be making that, smacking for sure,” Ball told the reporter grinning ear-to-ear.

Going back to 2022, LaMelo also lit up the interviews with his blatant F-bombs. After a game against the Pelicans, the Hornets guard caught up with Ashley ShahAhmadi. Miles Bridges bombed the interview, prompting LaMelo to say, “I’m gonna keep it cool, calm and collective,” before adding, “f**k that boy up.” Before moving on to the next question a teammate ran behind hitting him on the head. “Today’s f**k with Melo day, OK,” LaMelo said shaking his head. After the brief interview, Hornets broadcaster, Eric Collins apologized to the fans for the young man’s “youthful exuberance”.

LaMelo is questionable for the game against the Cavs starting in a few hours. The guard is suffering from a left index finger sprain. At the time of writing, there’s no indication if he’ll start, but if he does sit out, that might give him the window to reflect on his actions, hopefully.