Latest news with #LaVarBall
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
LaMelo And Lonzo Ball Looking To Join Forces In Clippers? LaVar's Latest Pitch Promotes Big Move
LaMelo And Lonzo Ball Looking To Join Forces In Clippers? LaVar's Latest Pitch Promotes Big Move originally appeared on Fadeaway World. While players cannot directly approach another team while on contract with another in the NBA, LaVar Ball seems to have found a way around it. As a proud father, LaVar has consistently promoted his sons' careers. It was undoubtedly his vision that brought all three of his sons to an NBA-caliber career. And now he wishes to see two of his sons on the same team, and honestly, I see the vision too, this time. Advertisement LaVar Ball recently went viral for posting a video online in which he pitches to the Clippers that they need to make moves so that two of his sons, who are still in the NBA, LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball, can be on their team. He even pitches his third son LiAngelo Ball's name, but it's highly unlikely that he gets an NBA contract when he is focused on building a music career. "If you want a championship, listen to me. I'm making it very easy. Everybody trying to go out and make these trades. Hey, Melo should be over here, Melo should be over here. I don't care where you put Melo, but what I do tell you if you put him with his brother, he will go to his original spot, which is the two... He loves to score, but the only person he'll move over from the one spot is his brother Lonzo. Get Lonzo, Melo, and Gelo. Can't nobody beat my guys playing fast." He even says that the type of basketball his sons play together is similar to what has taken the Pacers to the NBA Finals this season. Can The Clippers Lure LaMelo Ball And Lonzo Ball? LaMelo Ball is in the second year of his max extension with the Hornets and is looking to earn $37.95 million in 2025-26. Lonzo Ball is in the first year of a two-year extension where he is set to earn $10 million, despite missing most of the last two seasons with the Bulls. Getting a contract extension despite an injury-prone history indicates that the Bulls have a plan to use Lonzo on their team. Advertisement If the Clippers set things in motion to acquire LaMelo Ball, the first major decision they will have to make is trading James Harden or Kawhi Leonard to make room for a max contract. Getting Lonzo Ball to come may be easier, but the Hornets will likely have a massive asking price if the Clippers seek a trade for their only All-Star. Both Ball brothers grew up playing basketball for the same high school and were in fact, on the same team for a year. While Lonzo is a pass-first point guard, LaMelo is more focused on scoring but has equivalent playmaking skills to his brother. If the Clippers go all-in on going younger, then they may be able to pull off these moves. Here's what we consider a reasonable asking price for both players: LaMelo Ball: One veteran player (Kawhi Leonard or James Harden) + 2 first-round picks Lonzo Ball: One reliable veteran (Bogdan Bogdanovic) While the Clippers have not yet expressed any public interest in these players, behind closed doors, they may be frustrated with Kawhi Leonard's vulnerability to injury and decide to go younger. Do you think the Clippers will pull the trigger on a trade that brings both of these players back home to LA? Let us know what you think in the comments section. Related: NBA Insider Hints At A Potential Kevin Durant-James Harden Reunion Amid Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- 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
18-03-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
LaVar Ball leg amputated due to diabetes: ‘Good to have my foot cut off as opposed to being dead'
When LaVar Ball first addressed having his right foot amputated, he seemed to be taking the matter in stride. 'Did y'all forget I'm LaVar?' the father of NBA players Lonzo and LaMelo Ball and rising rap star/former professional basketball player LiAngelo Ball said last month on TikTok. 'If I wanted to, I'd grow it back!' In a first-person article published Tuesday by Slam magazine, however, the famously vociferous Papa Ball revealed that he wasn't always so upbeat about his medical situation — and that he ended up losing more than just his foot over the course of three operations since December. 'I had an infection on my foot that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes,' Ball wrote. '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. 'All those surgeries and blood transfusions, it made me question whether it was worth going through it sometimes. It made me think, 'Man, just kill me and let me go about my business.' It made me think that maybe it's time for me to shut it down. 'But then seeing what my boys are doing out there, they're like, 'Dad you're the toughest dude I know.' That made me keep going. ... It was good to have that backing from my boys. One of the things that makes me go is when they are all together. When they are all together, I feel strong.' With an over-the-top personality he used to promote his own business ventures, Ball became a well-known figure in the sports world while his sons were basketball stars at Chino Hills High School. Now he says he intends to use his platform to encourage others to look after their own well-being better than he did. '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, we will try to sleep it off or say, 'Yeah, we'll get to it later,'' Ball wrote. 'And sometimes it's a little more serious than what you think. 'I look at my situation like this: I've talked to some of my people that's my age that's been calling me that have cancer. And they say, 'We thought we got it all, but we didn't,' and so the organs are getting tore up in the inside. Now these folks are dying. And these are my friends that are around my age, in the 50s and dying of cancer. 'Just for me to have my foot cut off, I got another one. I'm good to have my foot cut off as opposed to being dead. But if I don't go at the end of last year during Christmas to get that infection looked at, [an infection] that's been around for maybe a month or two on the bottom of my foot, this would be a different type of story.'
