Charlotte Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball will be required to cover up a tattoo below his left ear due to a league policy prohibiting commercial logos on players' bodies, according to the NBA.
Ball, 22, has the initials "LF" tattooed – short for his middle name LaFrance, which doubles as the name for his apparel company – in red ink behind his left ear. Ball also has the same tattoo on his right hand, although that's not the tattoo in violation of the league rules.
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"Per the (collective bargaining agreement), players are prohibited from displaying commercial logos or corporate insignia on their body or in their hair during games," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Friday.