LaMelo Ball (ankle) plans to be ready by Hornets camp

CHARLOTTE, N.C — Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball said he anticipates being ready for training camp in September after suffering through an injury-plagued 2022-23 season in which he sprained his left ankle three times and fractured his right ankle, all of which limited him to 36 games.

Whether he'll consider wearing ankle braces moving forward remains to be seen.

«It's tough,» Ball said Monday. «I mean probably annoying just going through it, but I'm still alive and stuff like that, so you can't really be too mad. Just go through the rehab, do that whole process and try to come out on top.»

Ball, wearing a walking boot on his right foot and leaning on crutches, spoke to reporters for the first time since undergoing season-ending surgery on his broken right ankle on March 1.

The Hornets had playoff expectations this season, but Miles Bridges' legal troubles over the summer and a series of injuries to key players like Ball, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. wrecked the team's season.

When on the court, Ball showed he was ready to take the next step in his progression after reaching the All-Star Game last season.

He averaged career highs in points (23.3) and assists (8.3) per game while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range, becoming the second-youngest player to record 1,000 points, assists and rebounds in NBA history behind only LeBron James.

The Hornets (22-50) currently have the fourth-worst record in the league heading into Monday night's game against Indiana, and have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

It marks the seventh-straight year Charlotte will miss the postseason.

«Well we didn't make no playoffs and so whether I played 36 games, 25 or 50, it doesn't really matter,» Ball said. «The fact