CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE HORNETS) — The NBA today announced that LaMelo Ball has been selected to participate in the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars, which is the league’s annual showcase of premier young talent. This marks Ball’s second Rising Stars selection as he joins Emeka Okafor and Kemba Walker as the only players in franchise history to earn that distinction in both their rookie and sophomore seasons.
In his sophomore campaign, Ball is averaging 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 44 games, all starts. He ranks 10th in assists and 14th in steals per game in the NBA this season. Ball has posted four triple-doubles, which leads all first- and second-year players, as he is just one of eight players with four or more triple-doubles during the 2021-22 season.
Amongst rookies and sophomores, Ball ranks second in points, sixth in rebounds, first in assists and third in steals per game. He has scored 20+ points in 21 games this season, tied for the second most among first- and second-year players, while leading in double-doubles with 16. Ball is on pace to become just the fourth player to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals in each of their first two seasons in the NBA.
The NBA announced a new format for 2022 Clorox Rising Stars that will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament with three games. Each game will be played to a Final Target Score as the pool of 28 players consists of 12 first-year NBA players, 12 second-year NBA players and four elite young players from NBA G League Ignite.
First- and second-year NBA players were selected for Rising Stars by NBA assistant coaches. NBA legends who were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and assistant coaches from the 2022 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will compromise the coaching staff for Clorox Rising Stars and will select their roster in the Rising Stars Draft.
Each team will select seven players, including one NBA G League Ignite player as the competition will consist of a “race to 75” points in honor of the NBA’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season. The semifinal games will be played to a Final Target Score of 50 and the final game will be played to a Final Target Score of 25, for a total of 75 points in the semifinal and final.
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