LaVar Ball, a Southern California-based businessman who gained a global following as the father of current NBA players LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball, needed to get his foot amputated after a health scare.
What we know:
TMZ first reported the emergency amputation on Wednesday, February 19, saying the elder Ball underwent a procedure to get his right foot taken off. The next day, his youngest son LaMelo took to social media to pay tribute to his old man.
“Seen my dawg [before the] game,” LaMelo Ball wrote in an Instagram story. “It was only right [I love you] pops 5L and after.”
What we don’t know:
It is unknown what medical condition prompted LaVar Ball to undergo leg amputation. A timetable for the basketball dad’s full recovery has not been revealed to the public.
The backstory:
LaVar Ball became a household name for his self-promotion campaigns during the late 2010s and his public support for his three sons: Lonzo, LiAngelo [former NBA player turned rapper] and LaMelo. He advocated for his oldest son Lonzo to get picked by the hometown Lakers, which ended up happening in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Source: This report used information provided by TMZ, which first broke the story. LaMelo Ball’s social media tribute was posted on February 20.
