Some of you may know who LaVar Ball is, while others will have no idea. Let’s begin with some background information. LaVar Christopher Ball was born in 1967 into a family of nine, living in Los Angeles for the majority of his life. He played sports throughout highschool and college, like basketball and football. He actually played professionally in London for a bit, and even practiced with the Carolina Panthers, but unfortunately never participated in an actual NFL season game. He met his wife Tina Ball while in college, and they later got married and had three children. This is where the main story begins.
Presently, we know LaVar Ball as an entrepreneur, businessman, and the owner of his “Big Baller Brand.” He founded the brand off of his unique last name “Ball.” This brand contains clothing, shoes, and accessories. Its exact worth is unknown, but people assume that it’s near $500,000. He is even more famous for his 3 children, the infamous Ball Brothers. They also had a reality TV show called “Ball in the Family” that streamed from 2017 to 2020.
LaVar had three children with his wife Tina. His first child, Lonzo Ball, is 27 years old and a current player for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. His second child is LiAngelo Ball, a 26 year old professional basketball player in Mexico as well as a rapper going by the name of GELO. LaVar’s youngest son, LaMelo Ball is a current player for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, and also owns his own brand called LaFrance, named after his uncle and middle name.
This is where the saying, “LaVar Ball went 3 for 3” came from. His plan of having all three children become professional athletes was successful. Maybe not in the exact way he wanted, since LiAngelo isn’t in the NBA, but he is still a star in other terms. Lonzo Ball signed a $20 million two year contract extension with the Bulls this year, LiAngelo signed a $13 million contract with Def Jam records for his rapping career, and LaMelo signed a four year $209 million dollar contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets. All of the Ball Brothers are millionaires, so LaVar’s hard work and dedication paid off.
The price he paid was life changing though. Unfortunately, last week LaVar had his right foot amputated. The public doesn’t know the exact reason, but we can only assume it could’ve been because of cancer or other health issues. This price to pay for an entire successful family, I would think he is the happiest father in the world.
