LaMelo Ball was giving back before he ever played an NBA game: as an 18-year-old playing professionally in Australia, he gave a month's salary to bushfire relief. In Charlotte, the LaMelo Ball Foundation has focused on the everyday needs of local families and kids, from warm blankets and fresh meals to new shoes for young players.
A Month's Salary for Bushfire Relief
Playing for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia's NBL, the 18-year-old Ball pledged one month of his salary to help victims of the bushfires then devastating New South Wales. 'My parents taught me to help out wherever I can,' he said at the time, 'so this is my way of helping out.'
500 Blankets for Cold Nights
During his rookie season with the Hornets, Ball donated 500 blankets to the Salvation Army in Charlotte: a simple, practical gift for people facing the winter without enough warmth.
Turning Assists into Meals
With grocery partner The Fresh Market, the LaMelo Ball Foundation turned Ball's playmaking into dinner: for every assist he recorded during the 2022-23 season, The Fresh Market provided ten of its Little Big Meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina on the foundation's behalf. A $25,000 kickoff gift alone provided 145,000 meals across the Charlotte region.
New Shoes at the Simmons YMCA
Ball stopped by the Simmons YMCA in east Charlotte for a meet and greet with local kids, watched their drills, and gifted 40 of them a pair of his newest Puma signature shoes, the MB.04. The visit was one of four community stops he made across the country that week.
A Camp for the City's Kids
Fresh off winning NBA Rookie of the Year, Ball brought his game home to Charlotte's young people with a youth basketball camp for boys and girls in grades three through nine, taking the court himself to instruct and encourage the campers.
Become a Member of House of Mutombo
Good work grows when a community carries it. Join House of Mutombo, a community built on kindness, generosity and showing up for one another.