LaVar Ball, the father of basketball stars Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball, has reportedly had his foot amputated.
The Ball family patriarch is said to have suffered a ‘serious medical issue’, according to TMZ. However, the details of his condition have not been revealed.
The 57-year-old recently underwent the procedure to have his right foot removed but, despite the ordeal, is reportedly in ‘great spirits.’
None of the Ball brothers have publicly addressed their father’s surgery.
The controversial businessman has made a name for himself by thrusting his three sons into the spotlight.
The infamous basketball dad developed the ‘Big Baller Brand,’ which has created signature shoes for the trio of basketball players.
LaVar Ball, father of basketball stars Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball, had his foot amputated
LaVar is famed for his ambitious plans for his sons (Pictured L-R: LaMelo, LiAngelo and Lonzo)
LaVar has stirred controversy over the years with his various headline-grabbing claims about his sons.
He had previously predicted that all three of his sons would play on the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, 27-year-old Lonzo plays guard for the Chicago Bulls after previous spells with the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.
‘It’ll be the worst move the Lakers ever did in their life and they’ll never win another championship, guarantee it,’ LaVar told ESPN in 2019 after Lonzo trade from the Lakers to the Pelicans was announced. ‘They’re going to regret it. I’m going to have fun with it.’
Meanwhile, his youngest, LaMelo has spent five seasons with the Charlotte Hornets after being drafted with the third overall pick in 2020, going on to claim Rookie of the Year honors.
Meawhile, LiAngelo appears content to stay away from the court, instead choosing to pursue his music career.
Off the back of his viral hit ‘Tweaker,’ LiAngelo inked a deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group for a guaranteed $8million – with the deal potentially rising to $13million – in January.
Additionally, LiAngelo will have his own label – Born2Ball Music Group – and own all of his music.
Lonzo plays for the Chicago Bulls, whilst youngest son LaMelo is a member of the Hornets
His status as a hit rapper comes eight years after he and two UCLA teammates were detained (and briefly imprisoned) in China for suspicion of shoplifting before a game there.
LiAngelo, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were released the following day from custody and Donald Trump – then in his first term as US president – credited himself with getting the trio freed.
LiAngelo and his teammates were then suspended from UCLA, leading to a nomadic basketball journey which began with LaVar pulling his middle son off of the team.
Along with younger brother LaMelo, he played in Lithuania and in the LaVar Ball-founded JBA league, before playing in the NBA G-League and in Mexico.
LiAngelo also had stints with the NBA’s Pistons and Hornets, but never appeared in a regular season game (he played for the latter in the 2022 preseason).
Meanwhile, LaVar enjoyed a fleeting sports career of his own. He played tight end at Cal State-Los Angeles and spent time with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers organizations.
LiAngelo speaks to the media after being arrested for shoplifting in China while at UCLA
Donald Trump took credit for Ball and his teammates being freed from a Chinese prison
LaVar has sparked backlash for far more than his ambitions for his sons. In 2019, he landed himself in hot water at ESPN.
He found himself banned from the network after he made an inappropriate and suggestive remark to First Take anchor Molly Qerim.
During his appearance on the show LaVar had veered off topic, prompting the female host to say, ‘LaVar, can I switch gears with you because I have a question here.’
LaVar quickly responded, ‘You can switch gears with me anytime,’ while appearing to mime the act of shifting a manual transmission.
In 2017, he told a female anchor on Fox Sports, ‘stay in your lane.’