NBA player LaMelo Ball lands $100,000 fine for anti-gay “no homo” joke

In the U.S.A. the NBA has fined Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball $100,000 (approximately £79,000) for making a homophobic remark during a post-game interview.

Following a victory, Ball spoke to the Hornets FanDuel broadcast and stated, “Yeah, we loaded up,” then added, “No homo.” According to Urban Dictionary, “loaded up” can sometimes refer to sexual activity between gay men, which may have prompted Ball’s offensive joke.

According to ‘LGBTQ Nation’, the NBA issued a statement describing Ball’s comments as “offensive and derogatory.” Ball, who ranks as the league’s fifth top scorer, recently apologised, stating to reporters after a subsequent game, “Before we get started, I just want to address the comment yesterday. I really didn’t mean anything [by it] and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.”

Hornets Coach Charles Lee also commented, stressing that such comments are not supported by the organisation. He mentioned that he had discussed the issue with Ball, who was “very apologetic.”

“From what I’ve seen since I’ve been around him, he loves everyone,” Lee said, as reported by ESPN. “He’s a joy to have around the facility and it’s not typically how he operates. He and I talked about the seriousness of the situation and how he needs to conduct himself going forward.”

Lee continued, “He and I talked about it and he definitely said going forward, ‘I’m going to be better,’ and I want to see that happen. So for somebody to use those words and say that out of his mouth, we will make sure to hold him accountable to that.”

Ball’s fine is among the highest in recent NBA history for anti-LGBTQ+ comments from players.

Last year, Cam Thomas was fined $40,000 (approximately £32,000) for also using “no homo” during a post-game TV interview.

In 2022, Anthony Edwards faced a $40,000 fine after a video on his Instagram story showed him mocking a group of men on the sidewalk.

In 2023, Kevin Durant was fined $50,000 (approximately £40,000) by the NBA for derogatory remarks.