A North Carolina woman has filed a lawsuit against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets alleging that the team's star point guard hit her son with his car while the now-12-year-old boy was trying to get his autograph.
The incident allegedly happened outside the Spectrum Center, the Hornets' home arena, following the team's "Purple and Teal Day at the Hive" event on Oct. 7, 2023.
Tamaria McRae, the plaintiff, said her son Angell Joseph was among a group of fans that surrounded Ball's SUV as he stopped at a traffic light, according to the lawsuit filed in North Carolina's Mecklenburg County on Tuesday, NBC affiliate WCNC in Charlotte reports. Once the light turned green, Ball drove off in a "grossly negligent and reckless manner" and Joseph was struck as a result, according to the lawsuit.
Joseph was severely injured in the incident, according to the lawsuit. McRae claims she has suffered financial and emotional distress from the incident and is seeking at least $25,000 in damages.
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The Hornets declined to comment and there was no court date listed on the docket related to the case, WCNC reported.
