CHICAGO — Unaware of the typical postgame locker room scene spearheaded by LaMelo Ball, Coby White’s initial reactions were hilarious.

Following White’s debut for the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, and his new franchise establishing a record for consecutive road wins, he was immersed in the full Ball experience. While White was surrounded by a horde of Chicago-based media, giving his take on what it was like to play against his former team, Ball held court a good bounce pass away with the likes of Moussa Diabate, Miles Bridges and others.

Using … let’s just say … colorful language.

But this was really no different for Ball. He was in that trademark normal form, yet another reason he truly is one of one. Just in case there was any confusion after the windstorm created by his Feb. 18 car accident, it’s still the same LaMelo Ball, the same guy who’s as unique as anyone.

“I have fun every day I wake up,” Ball told The Charlotte Observer during the Hornets’ road trip, which continued in Indiana against the Pacers on Thursday. “I’m alive. God picked me, so every day I get to live I’m blessed and have a great day.”

His demeanor is unwavering.

Not long before Ball’s crash — less than an hour, in fact — he sat down with The Observer for a wide-ranging chat. A number of questions related to life on and off the basketball court were broached, allowing the 24-year-old to give his take on various aspects of his life.

It’s a rare inside look at how Ball envisions things and what makes him tick.

For one, he’s unapologetically genuine and happy-go-lucky around the clock.

“Yeah, that’s the whole main thing,” Ball said. “That’s really my slogan. I just live by, ‘Pretty much just be you.’ That’s all I’ve been doing my whole life. It’s what I know, what I am, so it’s just how I move, you know? It ain’t no faking.”

The conversation begins with a general inquiry about Ball’s time in Charlotte and his comfort level in the city that’s been his home for the past half decade.

“Honestly, I be feeling comfortable everywhere,” Ball said. “For real. Any place. I just lay my head more than a week I’m comfy, you know what I’m saying?”

Ask Ball what gets him going away from the bright lights of NBA arenas and the response is similar to his trademark thought process. He’s simple in that regard.

“Just living, man,” he said. “Being alive, blessed, grounded, knowing what’s going on. Just knowing every day you wake up is a blessing, you know? You know what I’m saying?”

‘I just feel like I’m blessed’

In explaining precisely why that’s the case, and the overly boisterous approach that’s attached to Ball like a piece of gum on the bottom of a sneaker, he reiterates that it’s merely part of his makeup.

“I ain’t gonna lie,” Ball said. “I feel like I’m just blessed. A lot of people be telling me that. ‘You always happy and this and that.’ I’m just like, ‘What’s there not to be happy about? We got (people) dying. What’s there to be mad at?”

That’s when Brandon Miller chimes in, hijacking the session by asking the interviewee a question. But in a rare role reversal, it was Ball who tried to bring things back to the proper perspective.

In front of Ball’s locker is a line of shoes that seems as long as the backup of cars waiting to merge onto I-77 from I-277 during the evening rush hour. A variety of colors makes it easy to distinguish them.

Ball has his own shoe line through Puma. Did he think that would happen at one point while growing up?

“Yeah, for sure,” Ball said. “Just having everything in high school, it was just (mandatory) for real. So, I already knew coming into the league I had to.”

His favorite pair?

“I really can’t. pick for real because I make them all and everything,” Ball said. “So that’s tough.”

Ever wonder who comes up with the designs and how that all shakes out? Ball gave insight on the process and the nature of the origin of the sneaker versions.

“We’ve got some good designers, too,” he said. “So I’ll tell them my input and how I’m feeling and looking, like what I want to have to the look. They’ll send some, and then we’ll just go from there, you know what I’m saying? In the base and then get the chopping from there.”

But what about figuring out which pair to wear? Anyone who’s seen footage of Ball in game action knows he’s constantly changing it up, even sometimes alternating them at halftime.

The science behind it all is simple.

“It’s just random,” Ball said. “Yeah, I ask B. (Brandon) sometimes which ones to wear. How I’m feeling just whatever for real.”

Miller is the next subject broached since Ball brought him up and Miller was trying to interact in the session. Explaining the difference in the Hornets when Miller is healthy, Ball’s tone underscores the bond created between the duo.

“Yeah, we have been talking about that,” Ball said. “Me and him always have convos. Just us being on the court and just being available. It’s like we had convos, and we obviously knew what we could do and how we’re playing stuff. And just as long as we’re on the court, we just feel confident.”

It’s noticeable. Miller helps unlock a lot of things for the Hornets. Same goes for rookie of the year candidate Kon Knueppel.

When the team as a whole is playing the way it wants, Ball didn’t discount it feels good since it’s been a long time coming to reach this point.

“Yeah, no, like you said, we’ve been waiting for this point,” Ball said. “So we just happy and ready for real. Just going to take it on, you know?”

Returning to some lighter topics, although the chatter about his stable of expensive custom cars came before his accident, he couldn’t point out which one he enjoyed most.

“Don’t really know,” he said. “It’s just cool to have.”

Among the vehicles Ball has: a Rolls-Royce Cullina, a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63.

Miller is brought into the conversation.

All right, so which one is Ball’s favorite? Seriously.

“I’ll tell you which one he got,” Miller says with a smirk. “He got a Ferrari. I’ve been trying to get him off of that. Make me want to buy a brand new one.”

Ball shook his head.

“You hear him?” he said. “I’d love to have that problem, you know what I mean?”

‘That was the whole plan’

Back to basketball. But this time it’s more of the family variety.

Ball is the youngest sibling to brothers Lonzo Ball and LiAngelo Ball. They’re all competitive in their own way, but when it came to hooping in the backyard, it wasn’t how you might think.

“It’s crazy,” Ball said. “We didn’t really play a lot of one-on-one. Like, we just always playing like we was big on three-on-three in the backyard, and we always had kids from around the block playing and all that type of stuff.

“It’d be like 16 kids every day at the crib. … We just all run the hills, do the weights and train. And after that, it’d just be threes, or we even go play five-on-five.”

Which turned out to be a major assist.

“You just said it for real,” Ball said. “That was the whole plan. Everything we were doing back then was helping us to get here. We’ve just been following the path and it’s been fun. So, we just fell in love with it.”

Ball’s father, Lavar, heartily told the world his three sons would be pro basketball players. Lavar Ball’s flamboyant style rubbed some the wrong way, but he’s been somewhat vindicated.

“Gotta feel great for him,” Ball said of his father. “Just probably putting all that work in and seeing it, just working. So, yeah, I would think it’s a blessing.”

Throughout the discussion, Ball remains shirtless and the tattoos all over his 6-foot-7 frame jump out. He’s added plenty to his personal canopy over the past couple of years, including the massive one covering his back.

Getting tattooed puts Ball in a certain comfort zone.

“Pretty much you can just express yourself,” Ball said. “I love that.”

Which, if any, is his favorite?

“Don’t know,” Ball said. “I love them all. Just like the cars and shoes. I love all of them. If I’m going to do something I (mess) with it all.”

What about all that talk regarding changing the culture? Players in the league can see the Hornets are turning things around and Ball is eager to be a big part of it.

“Like I said, it’s good, but it’s something … we always seen it,” Ball said. “We got to be healthy, we got to be able to play for one another and just put it all together.”

Music-wise, Ball has a couple of artists that gets him going before games. A couple of them are probably easy to guess along with the genre.

“NBA Youngboy, always got him on,” Ball said. “And then Gelo just dropped, or he’s about, drop that ‘Backyard.’ For sure.”

Perfect segue.

LiAngelo Ball, aka Gelo, has transformed from a basketball player to a rapper. His success, of course, doesn’t surprise LaMelo Ball one bit. Seeing his brother ascend on a totally different field in just under four years after participating with the Hornets’ summer league team isn’t surprising, though.

“Just with our pops implementing in us, just always go get it,” Ball said. “No matter what it is, I feel like he just found a way.”

Akin to what professional athletes have to do to keep themselves afloat. No one is closer to Ball on the Hornets than Miles Bridges. The two share a rapport and speak often about things that don’t necessarily have to do with basketball.

“It’s easy with NBA players because we know this life,” Ball said. “They understand more than anybody. We all in this. So, it’s easy talking to them. We all deal with the same stuff pretty much, everybody around the league.”

People on the outside see Ball & Co. playing basketball, but there’s so much that comes with it. The fame — along with people asking for handouts — has its downside.

“I feel like it depends what caliber you are,” Ball said. “And I also feel like it just depends on what you let come in your world, and what you kick out and what you put in. So, it’s really all on you. Obviously, it’s a lot. … It’s all on what you left affect you.”

‘That’s your opinion’

’As a dog lover, Ball simply can’t get enough of man’s best friend.

He’s the proud owner of two Shar Peis, two North American Mastiffs and one Great Dane. They’re his children.

“The dogs are amazing,” Ball said. “Little kids for real. Just going back home and seeing them laying down, they ain’t never gonna argue with you or say no.

“Love them for that. … Just so lovable to be chilling in the crib. Feed them, walk them, take care of them, they take care of you.”

Perhaps, but why does Ball have his own personal starting five?

“I never said I’m getting five dogs,” Ball said. “I had a little dog, the Shar Pei, the brown one. Got him first and I’m like, ‘All right, little dog, you obviously need a big one.’ Got the big dog, Dipper. And I’m like, ‘Damn, I love these little Shar Peis. I might as well get another one because they got a gray one.’ ”

Wrapping things up, one last inquiry is tossed in Ball’s direction.

It’s about his feelings on those who don’t know this side of Ball. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that he’s not going to worry one iota about fallacies, like the narrative that he doesn’t enjoy being with the Hornets and wants to leave the market. Or the external chatter that isn’t all about winning.

He couldn’t care less.

“All those misconceptions, I ain’t gonna lie, I really don’t be tripping,” Lee said. “I don’t give a … It’s like if I don’t really know you and you got something that you think of me, that’s your opinion. So, never really got mad at opinions. That’s your opinion. Everybody has a different perspective, too. So it’s all on how they look at you judging. It’s life.”

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