Lavar Ball Has Right Foot Amputated Following 'Serious' Medical Issue

The Ball family patriarch is "in great spirits and doing well."

The father of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo—as well as rapper Gelo—had his foot amputated. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

LaVar Ball—father of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo and rapper LiAngelo—recently had his right foot amputated following a "serious medical issue", according to a recent report from TMZ.

"We're told the Ball family patriarch underwent a recent procedure to have his right foot removed," the tabloid wrote in a story on Wednesday. "But despite it all, he is in great spirits and doing well."

LaVar Ball Has Foot Amputated After Medical Issue | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/BZLugZjPI9

— TMZ (@TMZ) February 19, 2025

TMZ has since shared a photo of the 57-year-old, with a smile on his face, following the procedure:

Lavar Ball following a procedure to amputate his right foot. / Photo via TMZ.

Ball burst onto the scene alongside his basketball-playing sons around 2016, sporting his bombastic attitude. He often made headlines by saying he could beat Michael Jordan 1-on-1, his oldest son Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry, and that the then-Los Angeles Lakers coaches "don't know how to coach [him]."

While their father has taken a backseat over the last few years, the Ball brothers have gone on to have success both on the basketball court and off. Lonzo recently returned to the hardwood following a multi-year recovery from a knee ailment, LaMelo was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NBA draft and received an All-Star nod in '22, and Gelo has turned himself into a successful rapper—performing his hit song "Tweaker" at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

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