Lavar Ball says the Charlotte Hornets need to quit messing around and name his son Melo as the starting point guard ... telling TMZ Sports it's time to let the kid shine.
LaMelo was the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- and has already flashed his immense potential during the pre-season.
But when the season kicked off this week, Melo was #2 on the depth chart behind 25-year-old Devonte' Graham ... a 2nd round 2018 NBA Draft pick who was a star during his college days at Kansas.
We saw Lavar at a Big Baller Brand holiday charity event in L.