Credit: Twitter
The NBA is forcing LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets guard, to cover a tattoo below his left ear, because it violates rules in connection with exposing commercial logos on players’ bodies. The 22-year-old has the initials “LF” engraved on his body, which is an acronym for LaFrance, his middle name, which has now become the title of his clothing brand.
As per the report from ESPN, LaMelo Ball and the NBA have had frequent conversations about the tattoo, which led to the Charlotte Hornets guard covering it before the loss against the Miami Heat, on Tuesday, November 15, to avoid incurring fines from the league. He also covered the LF tattoo during the in-season tournament game loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, November 17.
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Tim Frank, the NBA spokesman, told ESPN, “Per the (collective bargaining agreement), players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games. We try to enforce the rule reasonably, by its purpose, and by taking into account players' efforts to express themselves in a non-commercial manner. But LaMelo Ball's neck tattoo is in obvious violation of the rule and, accordingly, he's required to cover it.”
The representatives of Lamelo Ball have made the case to the NBA about how several players from the past, including the likes of Jordan Brand, Michelin, and Warner Brothers, have had tattoos that would be considered corporate logos on their bodies. But in response, the NBA stated that these players didn’t have any endorsement partnerships with the companies in question.
