Why did LaVar Ball have his foot amputated? The dad of NBA stars LaMelo and Lonzo and rap sensation Gelo has opened up on the decision.
Why did LaVar Ball have his foot amputated?
In February, news broke that the controversial father had his foot and part of his leg amputated after suffering a serious medical issue.
Ball told SLAM the trouble began following an infection in his foot which started spreading through his blood due to disregard of his diabetes.
Doctors had to perform three surgeries and four blood transfusions while operating, initially cutting off toes and his foot before going almost knee-high.
The 57-year-old explained his children were the thing that kept him going through the difficult ordeal and insisted it could’ve been prevented if he paid more attention to his condition.
Lavar Ball speaks on losing his foot 🙏
(🎥 @SLAMonline / h/t @clippedszn) pic.twitter.com/jn2eDsu0Sm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 19, 2025
How did LaVar Ball become famous?
Like his children, Ball was a talented athlete in his youth, even featuring on the practice squad of the NFL’s New York Jets and Carolina Panthers but he never played in a regular season game.
His sons had better luck though and Ball began to make the headlines in spring 2017 by claiming his eldest son Lonzo, later drafted with the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, was better than Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
LaVar also stated he could beat basketball legend Michael Jordan in a one-on-one game. He made appearances on ESPN’s First Take show with Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast.
In November 2017, Ball became involved in a feud with U.S. President Donald Trump when his son LiAngelo (Gelo) was arrested alongside his UCLA teammates for shoplifting from a high-end shopping mall.
Ball’s youngest son LaMelo entered the league in 2020, drafted to the Charlotte Hornets and has gone on to win an All-Star nomination in 2022 as well as picking up the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2021.
LaMelo is widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in the game and LaVar’s notoriety will only continue to grow as his sons ascend within the space.
