The NBA has told Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball that he must cover up a tattoo on his neck that violates the league's policies regarding the display of corporate logos, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Ball first covered the tattoo before the team's game on Nov. 14 against the Miami Heat, and is expected to continue doing so moving forward to avoid fines.
A red 'LF' under Ball's left ear is the tattoo in question. The initials stand for LaFrance, which is not only his middle name but the name of his lifestyle fashion brand, which he launched in 2020.
Ball has a similar tattoo on his left hand, though it is not as obvious as the one on his neck. You can see the tattoo here, as well as the covering he used.
Ball's camp claims that the league rule regarding the matter has been inconsistently enforced and that the initials have been important to him before the launch of his "LaFrance" brand.
Ironically, one of the other times that the league did use the rule came in 2018, when Lonzo Ball, LaMelo's older brother, was required to cover up a "Big Baller Brand" tattoo.
Lonzo eventually settled the matter by covering up the "Big Baller Brand" logo with a new tattoo of a pair of dice. It's unclear what is LaMelo's situation.