Did LaVar Ball play in the NBA? What we know amid Hornets player LaMelo’s ball’s father’s foot amputation 

TMZ Sports broke the news that the 57-year-old father of basketballers Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball had his right foot amputated due to a “severe medical issue” this Wednesday afternoon but is reportedly doing better now. Photos from the outlet show him in a wheelchair, smiling, with his leg bandaged up.

LaVar Ball was a successful sportsman in his own right. During his time in college, he played at Cal State-Los Angeles and even had ties to the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers organizations. However, he never played a game in the NBA.

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Everything to know about LaVar Ball and his family:

At the time of writing, details that necessitated the amputation remain unknown as he has never divulged his medical issues publicly. The only known history of medical complications the family has had was in February 2017, when LaVar Ball’s wife, Tina, suffered a major stroke.

The affliction left her with expressive aphasia, which limits her speaking abilities. In an interview with The Washington Post at the time, LaVar opened up about his wife's affliction, saying:

"As long as she can smile, give a kiss and a hug,” he says, “I’m good”. “That’s probably why she had the stroke, so she can be quiet for a minute.”

As reported by BET, at the time, Lonzo Ball said his mom was the "glue" holding the family together, adding that her absence was too loud for the family.

"That’s the first time I’ve seen my dad cry," Lonzo told ESPN in 2019.

LaVar Ball first rose to fame in 2017, when he predicted his sons' futures, BET has reported. At the time, he claimed that Lonzo would one day be selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Draft, and it eventually came to fruition.

Since then, he has been involved in several projects, having founded the Big Baller Brand and launching the Junior Basketball Association. The former is renowned for launching signature shoes for the Ball family, and it even made headlines for the $3 billion-worth deals with major sneaker companies.

As for his sons, LaMelois is involved with the Charlotte Hornets, Lonzo is tied in with the Chicago Bulls, and LiAngelo's music career has been taking off.

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At the time of writing, the Ball family has yet to comment on LaVar's health and the circumstances surrounding the amputation of his right foot. Nonetheless, he is in good spirits.