Lonzo Ball Scorches Nick Wright For Calling LaMelo Ball A 'Clown' Following Heat Play-In Loss

The Miami Heat are headed to Cancun, but the real play-in drama is playing out off the court between Nick Wright and the Ball family.

After Wright blasted LaMelo Ball on Wednesday over a controversial play that sidelined Bam Adebayo, Lonzo Ball fired back with an all-out social media attack.

Wright didn’t hold back on First Things First, making it clear he sees LaMelo as more spectacle than superstar. His take quickly went viral.

"That young man is a clown, and has been a clown forever and will never not be a clown," he said on the program.

LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Wright even doubled down on social media.

"Listen, I think the last time I went scorched earth on a guy was Pat Bev years ago… but after LaMelo intentionally injures Bam and plays one of the most erratic elimination games we’ve ever seen, in the same season he’s been a menace on the streets of Charlotte, if calling him a clown is too far, I don’t know what to tell you," he said.

Lonzo wasted no time defending his brother. He took to Twitter to call Wright a "bum" and question his authority to criticize pro athletes.

"Nick Wright a bum! N***as be running they mouth and never touched a rock," he said. 

"I usually let s**t slide but I’m on one today f**k it lol," Zo added.

The backlash stems from a first-quarter sequence in Tuesday night’s elimination game.

LaMelo drove to the rim, took a hit to the head, and went down. While on the floor, he grabbed Bam Adebayo’s leg as the Heat star ran past, a play that appeared to lead to a back injury and shifted the game.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was livid. "I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play… [Ball] should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game," he said.

"He should have been thrown out of the game for that… There’s no place in the game for that," he said.

From the replay, it did not look premeditated. LaMelo appeared to react in the chaos after taking a shot to the head. He apologized afterward.

"I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was… I’m gonna check on him and see if he’s okay," he said.

Now it has turned into a war of words, and it may not end there, with the NBA now investigating Ball's "dirty" play.

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