LaVar Ball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LaVar Ball
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Ball in 2017
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LaVar Christopher Ball
October 23, 1967 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | West Los Angeles College Washington State University California State University, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Co-founder and CEO of Big Baller Brand |
| Children | 3 (Lonzo, LiAngelo, LaMelo) |
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Football career |
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| No. 99 | |
| Position: | Tight end |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Canoga Park (CA) |
| College: | Cal State-Los Angeles |
| Undrafted: | 1994 |
| Career history | |
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LaVar Christopher Ball (born October 23, 1967) is an American businessman. He is known for starting the sports clothing company Big Baller Brand. He also created the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), which is no longer active. LaVar is the father of three sons who are well-known in sports. His sons Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball are professional basketball players. His second son, LiAngelo Ball, is a hip hop recording artist.
LaVar Ball played both basketball and football when he was in high school. He continued to play basketball in college at different schools. He also played football for a short time. He was a tight end for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football. He was also part of the practice teams for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers in 1995. However, he never played in an official game in the National Football League.
In 2017, LaVar Ball started getting a lot of attention for his bold statements. He said his son Lonzo was better than famous basketball player Stephen Curry. He also claimed he could beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one basketball game. These comments made him very famous, and he appeared on many TV shows. He also talked a lot about his company, Big Baller Brand. LaVar has also spoken out about his sons' teams. He gained attention for a public exchange with U.S. president Donald Trump. This happened after his son LiAngelo was arrested for shoplifting in China.
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Early Life and College Sports
LaVar Ball was born on October 23, 1967, in South Los Angeles, California. He was the middle child in his family. He has four brothers and two sisters. LaVar went to Canoga Park High School. There, he was a strong quarterback in football and a forward in basketball. By the time he went to college, he was 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 250 pounds. Besides sports, LaVar studied criminal justice in college. He hoped to become a U.S. Marshal. His favorite basketball player when he was young was Charles Barkley.
College Basketball Journey
LaVar Ball started playing college basketball at West Los Angeles College in the 1985–1986 season. In his first year, he set a school record by getting 316 rebounds. He then transferred to Washington State. After one season there, he moved to Cal State Los Angeles. He played alongside three of his brothers at Cal State Los Angeles. During the 1989-1990 season, he averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He was also named to the All-CCAA first team.
Professional Football Career
After college, LaVar Ball returned to football. He played one year of college football at Long Beach City College as a tight end. In 1994, he signed with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL).
In 1995, Ball was sent to the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football (WLAF). He had no catches but returned kicks for 28 yards. He was also on the practice teams for the Jets and Carolina Panthers. However, an injury ended his football career. After that, he became a personal trainer in California.
LaVar Ball in the Media
LaVar Ball became very famous because of his sons' basketball careers. He started making bold statements in 2016. In 2017, he said his son Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry. He also claimed he could beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one game. Many people made fun of these comments. But they also made LaVar very well-known. He appeared on TV shows like First Take.
Public Exchange with Donald Trump
In November 2017, LaVar's son LiAngelo and two teammates were arrested in China for shoplifting. They were accused of stealing sunglasses. U.S. President Donald Trump was in Asia at the time. He later tweeted that he helped get the players released.
LaVar Ball responded by saying he didn't think Trump helped him. Trump then called Ball "very ungrateful." LaVar appeared on CNN and continued to refuse to thank Trump. Trump kept tweeting about Ball, calling him an "ungrateful fool." LiAngelo was suspended by UCLA and later left the team. LaVar said he would thank the Chinese president instead of Trump. He also said Trump was trying to use his family's fame.
Criticism of Lakers Coaching
In November 2017, LaVar Ball criticized Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton. He thought Walton was not coaching his son Lonzo correctly. Ball said Lonzo was focusing on winning, but the coaching made him look "soft." The Lakers later made a rule to stop media from talking to players' family members at home games.
In January 2018, while in Lithuania, Ball again said the Lakers were not playing for their coach. This led to other NBA coaches and Lakers players supporting Walton. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka also showed their support for Walton. LaVar later said he respected Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka. He eventually said Walton was a good coach who just needed to figure things out.
Business Ventures
Big Baller Brand
Big Baller Brand is a sports clothing company co-founded by LaVar Ball in 2016. He often promoted his brand on TV, comparing it to big companies like Nike and Adidas. In 2017, the brand released its first shoes, the ZO2, which cost $495. Many people, including famous athletes, criticized the high price. LaVar responded by saying, "If you can't afford the ZO2'S, you're NOT a BIG BALLER!"
The brand also released signature shoes for his younger sons, LaMelo and LiAngelo. These shoes also cost around $395. In March 2019, it was reported that Lonzo Ball cut ties with the brand's manager, Alan Foster. Lonzo claimed Foster had stolen money from the company. Lonzo then started wearing Nike shoes instead of Big Baller Brand shoes. LaVar said he supported Lonzo's decisions and wanted to fix things within the family.
Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas
In January 2018, LaVar's sons LaMelo and LiAngelo played for a Lithuanian basketball team called Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas. LaVar started several business projects with the team. Vytautas created a series of exhibition games called the Big Baller Brand Challenge Games. These games were streamed live on Facebook and heavily promoted Big Baller Brand. LaVar also reportedly gave money to Vytautas to help with their debts. This made Big Baller Brand the team's main sponsor.
However, LaVar also criticized the team's coach. In April 2018, LaVar announced he was taking his sons off the team. The coach said the Ball family "came for the show, not for basketball." LaVar later said everything went as planned for his sons in Lithuania. The team lost its sponsorship with Big Baller Brand. In August 2018, the team said LaVar and his sons were a problem. They claimed the Balls didn't pay tournament winners and took back gifts.
Junior Basketball Association
On December 20, 2017, LaVar Ball announced he was starting the Junior Basketball Association (JBA). This league was fully funded by Big Baller Brand. It was created as an option for high school players who didn't want to play college basketball. The league had 8 teams and played in major NBA venues. Players could earn between $3,000 and $10,000 per month. The rules were similar to the NBA. Players wore Big Baller Brand clothes and shoes. The league's logo featured a silhouette of Lonzo Ball. LaVar's sons LaMelo and LiAngelo both played in the JBA. LaVar coached the Western Conference's All-Star team in the league's first All-Star Game.
Public Reactions
LaVar Ball's actions and comments have caused a lot of discussion. He has received both praise and criticism. In 2017, Forbes magazine called him "one of the most polarizing figures in sports today."
Some people have called him "outrageous" or "wild." Famous basketball players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have said he has had a negative effect on the sport. Other NBA stars like DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant have supported him.
Comments on Race
In 2017, after UCLA lost a basketball game, LaVar Ball made a comment about his son's white teammates. He said, "Realistically you can't win no championship with three white guys because the foot speed is too slow." He was likely talking about Lonzo's teammates Bryce Alford, T. J. Leaf, and Thomas Welsh. Lonzo said he saw the comments "as a joke." Some people called Ball's comments "racist." LaVar later said he loved those players and blamed the loss on his son instead.
Comments on Women
On May 17, 2017, LaVar Ball appeared on a TV show called The Herd with Colin Cowherd. His comments to female host Kristine Leahy were seen as disrespectful. He didn't look at her during the interview. When she asked him how many shoes he had sold, he told her, "Stay in your lane." Leahy said she felt Ball was disrespecting women. He called her a "hater."
Later, Leahy responded, saying Ball shouldn't disrespect her or threaten her. Ball denied threatening her. After this, Big Baller Brand started selling women's clothing. They also sold T-shirts that said "Stay in Yo Lane."
LaVar Ball also faced criticism in July 2017. He was coaching his Big Baller Brand team at a tournament. He asked for a female referee to be replaced after she gave him a technical foul. He threatened to pull his team from the game if she wasn't replaced. The tournament organizers replaced her with a male referee. Ball later said the female referee was "not in shape" and needed to "stay in her lane." The officiating group for the event later stopped working with Adidas because of this incident. Adidas apologized, saying removing the referee was "the wrong decision."
In June 2019, Ball appeared on ESPN's First Take. When host Molly Qerim asked to "switch gears," Ball replied, "You can switch gears with me anytime." This was seen as a suggestive comment. ESPN later said they would not have Ball on their programs again.
Parenting Style
LaVar Ball's parenting style has caused a lot of discussion. He has been praised for raising three talented basketball players. But he has also been criticized. Some people say he tries to "get rich off his kids' accomplishments." Ball reportedly turned down a $10 million shoe contract for Lonzo from major brands. Instead, he continued with his own Big Baller Brand. Some people in the NBA worried that LaVar's bold claims would be a problem for Lonzo. In 2017, LaVar took his son LaMelo out of high school to train him personally. This led some to call him "the worst sports parent ever."
Personal Life
LaVar Ball met his wife, Tina Slatinsky, at Cal State Los Angeles. They married in 1997. They have three sons: Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, and LaMelo Ball. As of July 2025, Lonzo is a point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LaMelo is a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets. LiAngelo last played for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021 NBA Summer League. Both LiAngelo and LaMelo played for the Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas team in Lithuania from late 2017 to early 2018. LaVar also coached Vytautas in some games. In 2017, his wife Tina had a stroke. This caused her to have aphasia, which affects her ability to speak and understand language.
LaVar started training all his sons to play basketball when LaMelo was four years old. They played for his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, Big Ballers VXT. For a short time, they also played flag football. Lonzo became a star at UCLA after a great high school career. His younger sons also played at the same high school.
Reality Television
In July 2017, it was announced that Facebook would release a reality TV show about the Ball family. The show, called Ball in the Family, started airing on Facebook in August 2017. It was produced by the same company that made Keeping Up with the Kardashians. In February 2018, LaVar and Lonzo competed against each other on the show Lip Sync Battle. LaVar won the episode.
Health Update
In February 2025, it was reported that LaVar Ball had his right foot amputated. This was due to a serious foot infection caused by diabetes. Reports said he was in good spirits after the procedure.
