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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
'I'm hard to kill' – LaMelo Ball's father LaVar Ball had a bigger purpose for fighting his illness that led to an amputated foot
LaVar Ball. Image via: Kirby Lee via AP LaVar Ball, the ever-bold founder of Big Baller Brand and father to NBA stars LaMelo and Lonzo Ball, has revealed the harrowing details behind his recent foot amputation. Now, the outspoken patriarch is using his voice to inspire others to take their health seriously before it's too late. While he was explaining his experience, LaVar shared his true motivation for continuing to fight his illness. Here's what motivated LaVar Ball to keep on fighting his illness LaVar Ball. Image via: Getty Images After his recovery, LaVar Ball has appeared in several TikTok clips shared by creator Primby, where fans noticed something was off. The speculation was confirmed when SLAM magazine published an exclusive interview in which Ball laid everything on the table, including the terrifying ordeal that led to the loss of his right foot. 'What I want people to understand is that anytime you're dealing with an illness or something serious like that, one thing you better have is family to get you through that stuff,' Ball said. The usually animated father admitted there were moments where he felt close to giving up. 'I'm the Big Baller. I'm hard to kill. But I must admit that my boys kept me rolling. Cause a couple of times, I was like, I can't do no more blood transfusions. I can't do no more operations.' Watching his sons, LaMelo and Lonzo, in the NBA and LiAngelo rising as a hip-hop artist, gave him the strength to keep going. 'That made me feel better. So, then I was like, Let me go ahead and just do these other surgeries and blood transfusions.' Further, LaVar wants people to treat health issues with urgency. 'From my experience the last couple months, I want to get in people's heads the importance of taking care of your health, especially Black people, because sometimes we're not trying to go to the hospital... And sometimes it's a little more serious than what you think.' Reflecting on how he nearly didn't make it, Ball shared his terrifying reality, 'The doctors said, Big Baller, you were very close to having to shut it down. But they were quick enough to give me the blood transfusions and keep that poison from going throughout my body.' 'I still eat my sugar, but I pay attention to it... Because I'm going to tell you this, a little amputation and a little of this, it could all have been prevented.' Even after the amputation, Ball remains focused on his mission. 'OK, my foot is gone, but my brain is still here. So, I might not be able to move as fast… but what's the next step? Do I keep talking about the brand? Still keep talking about shoes?' He added, 'I got a lot of limbs to come off. I'm hard to kill. I got some bigger stuff that the Big Baller still gotta do.' In the end, it was his family and his relentless belief in his own purpose that carried him through. 'As long as I can smile and see my boys, I'm good... I still got folks around me that work hard and understand my drive to build a brand, to make shoes and to make other folks have the confidence in what they're doing.' Also Read: Who's responsible for Tom Thibodeau's exit from New York Knicks? NBA insider spills beans on front office decision In spirit, LaVar has not changed one bit, continuing his bold approach to life and his story, for many, could be the right inspiration as he fought the battle the hardest way possible.
South China Morning Post
22-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Who's Big Baller Brand's controversial CEO LaVar Ball? The father of NBA stars Lonzo of Chicago Bulls and LaMelo of Charlotte Hornets, plus rapper LiAngelo, recently had a leg amputation
Athletic apparel company Big Baller Brand 'BBB' CEO and Ball in the Family star LaVar Ball, father of Chicago Bulls' Lonzo Ball, Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball, and rapper LiAngelo, recently had his leg amputated. In an interview with Slam, the 57-year-old businessman revealed that a foot infection turned into a dangerous affliction when it reached his bloodstream because he hadn't taken his diabetes seriously. Advertisement 'First, they cut off a couple of toes. Then they cut off my foot. Then they said, We gotta go almost knee high for another surgery,' he recalled, before admitting that the procedures, paired with multiple blood transfusions, took a toll on his mental health . 'It made me think, 'Man, just kill me and let me go about my business.'' However, his sons 'kept [him] rolling' and now, he's advocating for diabetes awareness. Ball once said on ESPN's First Take that he could go head-to-head with NBA legend Michael Jordan and beat him – and declared his son Lonzo a better player than four-time NBA champion Steph Curry, but he refused to thank Donald Trump for helping bail LiAngelo out when he got caught shoplifting in China in 2017, per Forbes. So what do we know about the controversial LA entrepreneur? What's his background? LaVar Ball addresses a press conference in Prienai, Lithuania, ahead of his sons LaMelo Ball and LiAngelo Ball playing for the Vytautas club, in 2018. Photo: AFP Photo Ball grew up in South Los Angeles with four brothers – LaFrance, LaValle, LaRenzo and LaShon, according to an interview he did with MaxPreps. He attended Canoga Park High School and majored in criminal justice at university, aspiring to be a US Marshall, according to ESPN.
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
LaVar Ball opens up about condition that led to amputation: 'Don't feel sorry for me'
LaVar Ball opens up about condition that led to amputation: 'Don't feel sorry for me' LaVar Ball, the CEO of Big Baller Brand and father of Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, is opening up about the serious medical condition that led to his right foot being amputated. Ball revealed to Slam magazine that he was hospitalized for more than a month with life-threatening complications of diabetes, which ultimately led to the amputation of his root and several blood transfusions. Ball said his hospital stay coincided with LiAngelo Ball's song "Tweaker" going viral in January: "Funny how life works sometimes." "I had an infection on my foot that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes," Ball, 57, said in his first interview since the operation. "I ended up having to get my leg amputated. First, they cut off a couple of toes. Then they cut off my foot. Then they said, 'We gotta go almost knee high for another surgery.'Three surgeries. And then there were also the blood transfusions. Not one, not two, not three, four different times." LAVAR BALL makes first public comments since having foot amputated TMZ first reported the news by circulating an image of Ball using a wheelchair with a bandage over his right leg. Ball later confirmed the procedure in a TikTok video posted on @primbyontwitch's account. "Everyone heard what happened. And y'all can take my foot, but you know what you can't take? That Primby account," Ball said. Despite appearing to be in good spirits in the social media video, Ball said his medical condition greatly impacted his mental health and had him questioning if "it was worth going through." "I'm the Big Baller. I'm hard to kill," Ball said, highlighting his larger-than-life personality that made him a mainstay in the headlines. "But I must admit that my boys kept me rolling. Cause a couple of times, I was like,'I can't do no more blood transfusions. I can't do no more operations. I'm just ready to shut it down. It's enough for me.' But I'm here for a bigger purpose." LaVar Ball: 'Don't feel sorry for me' Ball credited his three sons – Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, 27, rapper LiAngelo Ball, 26, and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, 23 – for providing him the motivation to "keep going" and look for the silver lining. "My foot is gone, but my brain is still here," Ball said. "I might not be able to move as fast as I did and do other things like that, but what's the next step? Do I keep talking about the brand? Still keep talking about shoes? Still go out to meet people? It makes me feel way better in looking at the outcome to go forward because I still want to be on this journey." The Ball brothers and their outspoken dad burst onto the scene in 2016 when Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo led Chino Hills High School to a perfect 35-0 record, a state championship and No. 1 overall ranking in the nation. Ball parlayed the family's fame into the sports apparel company Big Baller Brand, which he co-founded in 2016. "Seeing what my boys are doing out there, they're like,'Dad you're the toughest dude I know.' That made me keep going," Ball said. "As long as I can smile and see my boys, I'm good. But this whole experience made me realize, (you're) lucky that you have family to get you through some stuff. But don't feel sorry for me." Ball is not the only member of the family who has dealt with medical adversity. Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft, was sidelined nearly three years with a recurring left knee injury that required three surgeries. He returned to the court for the Bulls in October after last playing for the team on Jan. 14, 2022. Tina Ball, mother of the Ball brothers, suffered a stroke in February 2017. "I just deal with it. Whatever it is," Ball told ESPN at the time. "Things are gonna happen in life. Either you are gonna help do something about it or you just gonna let it happen and destroy you." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Los Angeles Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
LaVar Ball says ‘everyone heard' about his amputated foot: ‘If I wanted to, I'd grow it back!'
LaVar Ball confirmed a recent report that his right foot has been amputated. And he offered that information in the most LaVar Ball way possible. Over the last month or so, Ball — the famously vociferous father of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo Ball and their brother LiAngelo Ball, who played in the NBA G League and is now a rising hip-hop star — has been appearing in short video clips posted by TikTok user Primby. In the most recent two clips, a characteristically loud and upbeat Ball addressed the reports about his health, while also taking credit for an apparent uptick in popularity for Primby's social media account. 'Everyone heard what happened,' Ball said in a video posted late last week. 'And y'all can take my foot, but you know what you can't take? That Primby account!' Ball returned to the account Sunday with more. 'For everyone asking how I'm feeling — I may not have my foot anymore, but you know what I got now? That Primby TikTok verification!' Ball said. 'Did y'all forget I'm LaVar? If I wanted to, I'd grow it back!' Both videos end the way many of Ball's clips on Primby's account end, with Ball singing a particular line from son LiAngelo's hit single 'Tweaker' — 'I might swerve, bend that corner, whoa-oh-oh.' TMZ first reported Wednesday that Ball had undergone the procedure, running a photo of a smiling Ball in a wheelchair with the lower portion of his right leg wrapped and the foot apparently missing. It is unclear what medical condition led to the apparent amputation. The Times was unable to reach Ball for comment, and his company, Big Baller Brand, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ball became a well-known figure in the world of sports while his sons were basketball stars at Chino Hills High School. He used his over-the-top personality to promote not only the three younger Balls, but also himself — once bragging that he could have beaten Michael Jordan in a one-on-one basketball game — and his own business ventures. Three weeks ago, Big Baller Brand posted a video of Ball lounging on a couch while watching the 'Tweaker' music video, which features all three of his sons. The proud father is seen smiling, mouthing the lyrics and dancing in place, with the back of the couch obscuring the view of his right leg. LaMelo Ball, whose Charlotte Hornets played the Lakers at Arena on Wednesday, posted a photo of himself with his father on Instagram. They were standing outside, both men with wide smiles, and LaVar Ball had his right leg resting on a knee scooter (the bottom portion of his leg is not seen in the photo). 'seen my dawg b4 da game,' LaMelo Ball wrote with the photo on his Instagram stories. 'it was only right.' He added: 'i love you pops 5L and after.'
USA Today
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
LaVar Ball makes first public comments since having foot amputated
LaVar Ball makes first public comments since having foot amputated Show Caption Hide Caption Houston Rockets Shooting Guard Jalen Green weighs in on NBA Play-In Tournament We catch up with Houston Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green, and talk about his partnership with Wingstop. LaVar Ball, the CEO of Big Baller Brand and father of Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, has acknowledged reports that he recently had his right foot amputated. Appearing in a video posted to TikTok user Primby's account, Ball even makes light of his surgery: "Everyone heard what happened. And y'all can take my foot, but you know what you can't take? That Primby account." He continues by singing along to his son LiAngelo's recent hit single "Tweaker." TMZ first reported last Wednesday that the procedure occurred after LaVar Ball suffered "a serious medical issue." The outlet circulated an image of Ball using a wheelchair with a bandage over his right leg. It's not clear what medical issue led to Ball's amputation. His youngest son, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram last week saying, "i love u pops". The other two sons – Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, 27, and social media star LiAngelo Ball, 26 – have not commented publicly on their dad's health. LaVar Ball used to be a mainstay in the headlines, regularly hyping up his sons and showing off his larger-than-life personality. But Ball has largely remained out of the public eye in recent years. Ball was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Canoga Park High School, where he played basketball, football and ran track. He went on to play one season at West Los Angeles College and later transferred to Washington State, an NCAA Division I school. He averaged 2.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 26 games (six starts) in 1987-88. Ball transferred again after one season to Cal State Los Angeles, an NCAA Division II school where he met his future wife, Tina Slatinsky. They married in 1997. Following his basketball career, Ball shifted back to football and played tight end at Long Beach City College for one season. He signed with the New York Jets as a free agent defensive end in 1994. He was on the Jets practice squad in 1994 and 1995 under head coaches Pete Carroll and Rich Kotite. He also briefly spent time on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad, according to the Charlotte Observer. Despite telling USA TODAY Sports in 2017 that he "would kill Michael Jordan one-on-one" in his prime, Ball's own athletic prowess didn't make headlines. It was his boisterous personality and over-the-top promotion of his sons that captivated (or infuriated) the nation, depending on who you ask. The Ball brothers and their outspoken dad burst onto the scene in 2016 when Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo led Chino Hills High School to a perfect 35-0 record, a state championship and No. 1 overall ranking in the nation. Ball parlayed the family's fame into the sports apparel company Big Baller Brand, which he co-founded in 2016. Ball is not the only member of the family who has dealt with medical adversity. Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft, was sidelined nearly three years with a recurring left knee injury that required three surgeries. He returned to the court for the Chicago Bulls in October after last playing for the team on Jan. 14, 2022. Tina Ball, mother of the Ball brothers, suffered a stroke in February 2017. "I just deal with it. Whatever it is," Ball told ESPN at the time. "Things are gonna happen in life. Either you are gonna help do something about it or you just gonna let it happen and destroy you." Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
