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LaVar Ball, the father of Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball and former basketball player turned rap star LiAngelo 'GELO' Ball, reportedly had his foot amputated after "suffering a serious medical issue," TMZ Sports reported on Wednesday (February 19).
Ball, 57, underwent a procedure to have his right foot removed, but appeared to be in good spirits, in a photo shared by the website, though not specifying the diagnosis. The football player made headlines when his oldest son, Lonzo, was a standout at UCLA, predicting all three of his sons would be drafted into the NBA, while making several outlandish statements and promoting his 'Big Baller Brand' clothing line in 2017.
The Ball patriarch has distanced himself from the spotlight in recent years, while Lonzo has been a dependable point guard when healthy, and his youngest son, LaMelo, has emerged as one of the league's brightest stars, averaging 27.3 points, 7.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 NBA season.
LiAngelo, who, like his older and younger brothers played at UCLA, went undrafted in 2018 and played overseas and in the NBA G-League for several years before recently going viral with his song 'Tweaker,' heralded as a throwback to early 2000s hip-hop.