LaMelo Ball showing Panthers that a star is everything

Charlotte Hornets rookie point guard LaMelo Ball is a superstar in the making, here’s why the Carolina Panthers should care.

The Charlotte Hornets have a potential superstar on their hands with 19-year-old point guard LaMelo Ball – and the Carolina Panthers should take note.

The 6-foot-6 rookie from Chino Hills, California had over 5 million Instagram followers before he was drafted by Charlotte’s NBA franchise with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. Since being drafted, the latest product of the Ball family dynasty has silenced tons of critics, should run away with this season’s NBA Rookie of The Year award, and is showing he’s worthy of the hype and fame that’s followed him since he was 14 years of age.

More importantly, he’s changed the trajectory of the Hornets’ franchise both on and off the court.

Hoping to change their own trajectory, the Panthers brass has to be looking to the Hornets as an example of what a young star player can do for a team and a city. To add insult to injury, the team’s jettisoning of Cam Newton last year has left them with very little star power to compete.

The most famous player on the current roster is easily Christian McCaffrey with about 1.7 million followers on Instagram and Twitter combined. Ball’s social media following dwarfs that with a follower total of 7.3 million.

Social media isn’t everything.

But the Hornets have clearly found a franchise cornerstone that plays one of the most beloved positions in sports with flash and charisma that is must-see TV. The Panthers have the opportunity to do the same thing this offseason and here’s why they should.