The Charlotte Hornets won their season opener to begin the 2021-22 National Basketball Association regular season thanks to a strong performance by their second-year player, LaMelo Ball of Anaheim, California. Ball scored 31 points and became the third youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points in a NBA regular season opener according to ESPN. He accomplished the feat in a 123-122 Hornets win over the Indiana Pacers.
Ball was only 20 years and 59 days old. The two younger players to score 30 points in a NBA regular season opener were Lamar Odom and John Drew. Odom of Jamaica, New York had 30 points for the Los Angeles Clippers on November 2, 1999 in a 104-92 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics. It was Odom’s first ever NBA game at 19 years and 361 days old. Drew of Vredenburgh, Alabama was 20 years and 18 days old and playing in his first NBA regular season game when he scored 32 points for the Atlanta Hawks in a 120-115 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on October 18, 1974.
How Ball’s performance on Wednesday is different from that of Odom and Drew is that Ball led the Hornets to a victory, something Drew or Odom were unable to accomplish. Ball meanwhile is in his second season in the NBA, while Drew and Odom were rookies.
Ball had zero points in his first NBA regular season game a year ago, a 121-114 Hornets loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He did however go on to be named the 2021 NBA rookie of the year. Ball had a career-high 34 points last season in a 138-121 Charlotte loss to the Utah Jazz.
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