One shot. One chance. One hundred thousand dollars. In a packed Crypto.com Arena, a single moment changed everything, both for the Lakers and one lucky fan. As the Lakers battled for their eighth straight win, North Carolina’s Michael Ball stunned the crowd, sinking a half-court shot to secure an unforgettable payday. What followed was an electrifying moment that even sparked Lakers guard Gabe Vincent’s incredible fourth-quarter performance.

Michael Ball, a 32-year-old Lakers die-hard from North Carolina, stood center court with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Drain a half-court shot and take home $100,000. So, what did Michael do? Well, he drilled the shot from the Lakers logo, in just one go! After he made the shot, Michael jumped with sheer happiness and pointed out something interesting. He pointed out a tattoo of none other than one of LA’s finest, the late Kobe Bryant. Had he flashed that tattoo beforehand, no one would have second-guessed his shooting touch.

Moreover, Michael observed that previous participants often left their shots short. Of course, he wasn’t gonna repeat that and made sure he got just enough behind the ball to make it to the back glass or the rim. Sure enough. He did just that and more. Reporters later asked Michael if he had looked toward the Lakers’ bench after making the shot. “It was all eyes on my wife if I’m being honest.” He said. As soon as he made the shot, Ball’s better half ran straight toward him to give him a big hug and rightly so.

In fact, the prize money as per Ball will help take out some of the financial load from the couple. “You know, we got married in November a few months ago and weddings aren’t cheap. So, we’re trying to replenish the coffers a little bit in our bank account. So, this is largely going to refilling that. But, might treat ourselves with something nice as well.” Michael stated. It’s great to hear that the money will build a family’s future. On a more interesting note, Michael also wished that the LA roster was focusing on the game rather than watching him win. Well, Gabe Vincent, who had a great night, had something else to say about the Lakers fan.

Gabe Vincent says Ball inspired his special performance

The LA Lakers were up against a talented New York Knicks team and had to fight their way back into the game in front of their home crowd. In the fourth quarter, Los Angeles found themselves trailing in double digits, while Luka Doncic and LeBron James got over the 30-point mark, they required some help from their teammates to get over the final hurdle on the night. While it was a team effort to get the 113-109 overtime win over New York, veteran sharpshooter Gabe Vincent contributed massively.

The 28-year-old Lakers guard was on fire as he just couldn’t miss. Vincent came off the bench in the fourth quarter and scored 12 points to help his team’s cause. What’s special about his 12 points is the fact that he made all four of his three-pointer attempts! However, he couldn’t stop Knicks guard Jalen Brunson from having a great game. Brunson scored 37 points before exiting the game due to an ankle injury, he made him work for it.

After the game, while giving an interview, he gave some credit to Michael Ball who got him and the crowd all fired up. “You know, the guy made a half-court shot for 100K, got the crowd fired up a little bit, maybe we credit him for this win tonight,” said Vincent. He suggested that it might just have been Michael’s attempt after the third quarter that inspired him to go off in the fourth quarter, take the game to overtime, and grab a thrilling win. As the Lakers push for dominance in the Western Conference, moments like these showcase the unpredictable magic of basketball. While superstars like LeBron and Luka lead the charge, role players and even fans can make a difference in shifting momentum.