The NBA is Ball-less after Lamelo suffered an ankle injury earlier this week that will leave him sidelined for what sounds like at least a few weeks. Shams Charania reports that it’s a sprain of the same ankle Ball fractured last season. As the Charlotte Hornets prepare for life without LaMelo, the Chicago Bulls have been living theirs without big brother Lonzo for nearly two years.

Six years after being introduced to the Ball family on a national level, this dynamic brotherly duo can barely stay on the court. Lonzo, 26, hasn’t stepped on an NBA court since January 2022 due to a knee injury. Because of multiple setbacks, the eldest ball brother likely won’t play again until the 24-25 campaign. So, Lonzo could end up missing close to three years in the middle of his career stemming from this injury.

Since Lonzo has missed so much time over the past couple of years, he and baby bro LaMelo have only faced each other three times. But Melo hasn’t exactly been the iron man of the family either during his time in the league. Last season, the youngest Ball suited up for only 36 games because of that fractured ankle. In Melo’s rookie year of 20-21, he played in only 51 games.

This latest setback for Melo, 22, is worrying since it’s the same foot he hurt last season, although, according to Charania, it isn’t as bad. Charlotte is one of the worst teams in the NBA, and that’s with LaMelo on the floor. Without him, they are one of the league’s most unwatchable franchises. Ask a friend who has NBA League Pass and they’ll tell you.

Were it up to LaVar, the patriarch of the Ball tribe, his boys would’ve played together from day one of Melo’s career, which may have prevented these setbacks they’ve experienced. This feels like something LaVar would say if major networks were still shoving microphones in his face at every turn. It took a little while, but they eventually eased away from so much Ball access unless it was on a court.

While it’s still possible the brothers, who are still young, could team up for an NBA franchise one day, it’s been a battle just to get on the court lately, especially for Lonzo. LaMelo should be back sometime this season, but we can only hope for good news from Zo at some point. It sucks that they entered The Association with so much animosity (especially Lonzo) aimed at them because of Papa’s mouth. Still, they’ve overcome that to be accepted by fans and peers alike. Their biggest battle thus far has been dealing with a litany of injuries, causing them to miss significant time.