“I Was Kind of Slurring”: LaVar Ball Reveals What He Told Gelo Ball While Dealing With Life Threatening Diagnosis

What happened with LaVar Ball earlier this year was sudden and scary. The charismatic Big Baller Brand’s CEO and father of basketball stars LaMelo, Lonzo, and LiAngelo had his foot amputated at the end of February due to his diabetes condition. The story made headlines everywhere, but the reason for the unimaginably difficult life change remained a mystery. The Ball family kept LaVar’s health scare under wraps. But now, LaVar has revealed it all.

During an exclusive chat with SLAM Magazine, LaVar opened up about what went wrong and how it all could have been avoided. “I had an infection on my foot that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes,” the 57-year-old told the outlet.

He detailed how the amputation started with a few toes, then the foot, and eventually took his leg off up to the knee. “Three surgeries. And then there were also the blood transfusions,” he revealed.

There was even a point when LaVar considered giving up altogether. “It made me think, Man, just kill me and let me go about my business. It made me think that maybe it’s time for me to shut it down,” he emotionally stated.

But LaVar remained strong thanks to the support he received from his sons. “That made me keep going…When they are all together, I feel strong.” As soon as LaVar recalled the support he received from his sons, he recalled heavy but emotional calls he shared with his middle child while at the hospital.

LaVar recalled having many FaceTime conversations with LiAngelo, also known as Gelo. His track “Tweaker” had become a global hit while LaVar was battling his diabetes, but that didn’t stop him from checking in on his dad. “I was kind of slurring because I was all drugged up with all the medication they were putting in me,” admitted LaVar.

He continued, “Gelo understood what I was trying to say. I remember just telling him, Keep doing your thing. And make sure you take care of your brothers. Just make sure all of y’all are together. Cause the more you guys are together, the better I feel.”

It was a touching moment for Gelo and LaVar. And it was also a reflection of LaVar’s heart. He loves his son with depths that are rare to see. For all the criticism he has faced in the past, no one can question his fatherhood and the love he has for his sons, and that is exactly what kept him going.

As the interview went on, LaVar’s pride for the success of his three boys shined through, the very same pride that potentially saved his life. While Gelo didn’t get the same fanfare in the NBA as Lamelo and Lonzo, his new venture as a hip-hop sensation warmed his father’s heart.

“Everybody’s always saying now, Oh, LaVar went three for three. No—I’ve been three for three since the moment they came out the womb,” he proudly confessed.

LaVar is now out and about after his close encounter with death. He ended his exclusive by expressing how important it is to focus on health and family.

He reiterated that if not for his three boys he might not still be around, but that their strength gave him strength. “Fatherhood to me is something that’s mine, and I’m going to care about it ’til I die. And seeing all my boys’ success is what keeps me going,” LaVar said.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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