LaMelo Ball like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Shumpert: “He’s becoming a leader”
More consistent and showing real leadership traits: the former Cavs guard puts Ball’s growth into perspective, comparing him to Shai
LaMelo Ball lights up the night in Charlotte and leads the Hornets to a 102-95 win over New Orleans. A result that no longer comes as much of a surprise, because these Hornets are slowly changing identity: from an unpredictable team to a credible reality, with an increasingly defined profile as a potential Eastern Conference playoff contender in the second half of the season.
The face of that growth is, inevitably, LaMelo Ball. After a first half of the regular season marked by ups and downs – to the point of coming off the bench for a brief stretch as Sixth Man – the No. 1 option has returned to being the team’s cornerstone. Against the Pelicans, he delivered a complete performance with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, also entering the franchise record books: at 24 years and 165 days, he is now the player with the most 20-5-5 games in Charlotte Hornets history.
Numbers that reflect consistency, confidence and, above all, leadership. Enough to prompt Iman Shumpert, ESPN analyst, to draw a comparison with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, putting LaMelo’s growth potential into perspective.
I think we’re watching the development of LaMelo Ball right in front of our eyes. When I watch LaMelo Ball play, I see some traits of SGA. I’m not fully comparing them, but what I notice is a team starting to rally around someone who makes decisions, who’s a generous passer, willing to take risks and willing to take the big shot late.
Iman Shumpert
Shumpert, who played alongside some of the most established leaders in NBA history such as LeBron James with the title-winning 2016 Cavaliers and Carmelo Anthony between 2011 and 2014, expanded on his point:
We didn’t talk about SGA the way we should have for a long time, until it was too late and nobody could stop him anymore, and the Oklahoma City Thunder became what they are today.
Iman Shumpert
The difference lies in the path. Oklahoma City accelerated its rebuild around SGA after years of struggles, quickly becoming competitive. Charlotte is moving in smaller steps, but the signs are becoming clear. Ball is also more reliable physically – 41 games played in the 2025-26 season – and when the lineup featuring Knueppel, Miller, Bridges and Diabaté is on the floor, the record stands at 12-1.
Details, perhaps. But real change often starts there. And in North Carolina today, the feeling is that the story is finally beginning to turn in the right direction. Everything, as always, runs through the hands of LaMelo Ball.