LaMelo Ball had a weekend for the ages over the last 72 hours for the Charlotte Hornets. On Friday, the Hornets superstar point guard from Anaheim, California led both teams in rebounds, assists and steals in a 104-96 Charlotte win over the New York Knicks. Then on Sunday, Ball had 21 points in a 106-102 Hornets upset win over the Golden State Warriors.
In the Hornets won over the Knicks, Ball had 17 rebounds, nine assists and five steals. According to ESPN, Ball becomes the third youngest player in NBA history to lead players on both teams in those categories in a single game. Ball was 20 years old and 82 days.
The two players who were younger than Ball to achieve that feat were Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson had 10 rebounds, 10 assists and seven steals in a 97-90 Lakers win over the Warriors on October 28, 1979. He was 20 years and 75 days old when he achieved the mark. Meanwhile, Doncic had 15 rebounds, nine assists and two steals on March 10, 2019 for the Mavericks in a 94-93 loss to the Houston Rockets. He was 20 years and 10 days old.
What Ball and his Hornets teammates were able to accomplish on Sunday was equally as impressive. The Hornets defeated a red-hot Warriors club that won 11 of their first 12 games to start the season. The only time Golden State had lost prior to Sunday was on October 28, when they were beaten at home by the Memphis Grizzlies 104-101 in overtime. So, the Hornets are the first team this season to beat the Warriors when Golden State has been on the road, and the first team to beat the Warriors in regulation. On Sunday, Ball had 21 points and was a +13.
