LaMelo Ball becomes youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double

NBA history was made on Saturday, as Charlotte Hornets rookie point guard LaMelo Ball set the record for being the youngest player ever to record a triple-double according to the Associated Press. Ball had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as the Hornets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 113-105.

Ball was 19 years and 140 days old when he accomplished the feat on Saturday. Markelle Fultz of the Philadelphia 76ers had the old record at 19 years and 317 days when he had a triple-double in his rookie season for the Philadelphia 76ers in a 130-95 Philadelphia win over the Milwaukee Bucks on April 11, 2018. Fultz had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists while coming off the bench three years ago.

Interestingly, Fultz will forever be linked to LaMelo’s older brother Lonzo. That is because in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz was drafted first overall by the 76ers, and Lorenzo Ball was taken second overall by the Lakers. Now he will be linked to LaMelo Ball too. Fultz, who is now with the Orlando Magic, also made NBA headlines last week when it was reported that he would miss the rest of the regular season with a torn ACL. 

Until now, one could argue that the older two Ball brothers (which includes brother LiAngelo Ball, who was cut last month by the Detroit Pistons) while in the National Basketball Association have been overrated. Heading into the 2017 NBA Draft, there was a ton of hype surrounding Lonzo, who starred with the UCLA Bruins.

After two lackluster seasons for the Lakers, Lonzo Ball was then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on July 6, 2019, in the blockbuster deal that saw Anthony Davis come to SoCal. So what did Davis do in his first year with the Lakers? He was instrumental in assisting LeBron in helping the Lakers win the NBA Finals.

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Now, with this sensational weekend performance by LaMelo, he has the opportunity to be recognized as the best player among the Ball brothers, and distance himself from LiAngelo and Lonzo. In 10 games with the Hornets, the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is averaging a very respectable 12.8 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 5.9 assists per game. In all three categories, LaMelo is better than his older brother, Lonzo. The Hornets are at five wins, and five losses, and tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

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