LaMelo Ball is one of the NBA’s most exciting guards. He puts in a great performance every time he steps on the court, but his injury problems have limited him to just 58 games over the past two seasons. His ankle issues have been the biggest concern and have kept him out of action for extended periods of time. But he has apparently decided to take precautions to try to prevent further ankle injuries.

Hornets fans have been begging Ball to use ankle braces for the past two years to protect him from injury. And it seems the 22-year-old has finally decided to heed that advice. In a clip posted on the Hornets’ official Instagram account, the young guard could be seen wearing ankle braces.

After several fans asked if he would wear it during games, NBA reporter Evan Sidery confirmed that he plans to try it out next season. He wrote on X:

“For the first time in his career, LaMelo Ball plans to wear ankle braces next season. Ball originally planned to wear them in 2023-24 but was never comfortable wearing them before suffering another season-ending ankle injury. Charlotte has extremely high hopes that Ball stays healthy and plays at an All-Star level.”

Of course, that’s no guarantee that Ball will be healthy next season. The star also suffers from tendonitis in his ankle, a condition that causes severe pain if the affected part of the body doesn’t get enough rest and medication.

However, the equipment offers the Hornets star a chance to get his career back on track. It worked for Stephen Curry, who suffered multiple ankle injuries in his first three NBA seasons.

After the 2011-12 season, in which he made just 28 appearances, the guard began playing with ankle braces and his injuries decreased, establishing himself as one of the best, if not the best, point guard in basketball history. The Hornets hope Ball will make a similar comeback in the coming years.

The young guard was voted an All-Star for the first time when he was healthy for most of the season. The 22-year-old is a standout player and the key to Charlotte’s future. The franchise is trying to build a competitive roster around him, but their efforts would be in vain if he can’t stay healthy.

Ball and the Hornets are working on every possible solution to fix his injury problems, but whether their latest experiment works remains to be seen.