NBA star LaMelo Ball denies leaving scene of Charlotte car wreck

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has hit back at claims he fled the scene of his car wreck in downtown Charlotte on Wednesday... despite video footage appearing to show him do exactly that. Ball was unharmed in the wreck, which was caught on camera from various angles obtained by the Daily Mail, after he drove his camouflage Hummer into another vehicle at an intersection. 'Fortunately everybody is cool, so blessings,' Ball said of the crash after recording 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 105-101 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. 'God is great.' WSOC-TV in Charlotte later posted video of Ball, wearing an aqua-colored Hornets hoodie, getting out of the driver's seat of his car in the aftermath of the wreck. The clip appears to show him step out and immediately climb into the passenger seat of a waiting black Lamborghini, which immediately drives off and leaves the scene. Police were present at the time of his exit and Ball has not been cited for leaving the scene of a crash. When asked why he left the scene, Ball said, 'Nah, you gotta check in on that.' A police report has not been made available. There was no information available on the driver of the other car involved in the collision, although video showed a person calmly get out of the car and begin walking toward Ball's truck after the crash. When asked about the other person, Ball said: 'I seen her get straight out of the car.' Video showed the left front tire of Ball's truck was missing. 'I'm alive and blessed,' Ball said. 'God is great, like I said.' The younger brother of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo and former UCLA forward LiAngelo, LaMelo is known for driving flashy cars and was once seen in a gold-wrapped Lamborghini. Ball is just the latest professional sports athlete to be involved in a car crash in Charlotte. Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton fractured his back in a 2014 crash in which he flipped his pickup truck near Bank of America Stadium -- less than a mile from where Ball's crash occurred. And in 2024, Panthers current backup quarterback Andy Dalton injured his thumb when he was involved in a two-car crash in Charlotte. Former Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed in a car crash at age 30 following a practice on January 12, 2000. He had been racing with teammate David Wesley, who was ultimately charged with misdemeanor reckless driving.