LaVar Ball has opened up on his recent amputation, revealing that complications with his diabetes forced doctors to cut off part of his right leg.
The father of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo Ball – as well as basketball-player-turned-rapper LiAngelo Ball – initially picked up an infection in his foot.
But the problem ‘started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes.’
Doctors performed three surgeries and four blood transfusions, with the ordeal taking its toll on Ball, who at one point thought: ‘Man, just kill me and let me go about my business’.
He explained in SLAM: ‘First, they cut off a couple of toes. Then they cut off my foot. Then they said, “We gotta go almost knee high for another surgery”. Three surgeries. And then there were also the blood transfusions. Not one, not two, not three, four different times.
‘All those surgeries and blood transfusions, it made me question whether it was worth going through it sometimes. 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.’
LaVar Ball has revealed that complications with his diabetes forced doctors to amputate his leg
The father of Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball initially picked up an infection in his foot
Ball said his three sons – including LaMelo (above) – helped him through those dark times
But Ball revealed how his three sons helped him through those dark times. ‘I’m the Big Baller. I’m hard to kill,’ he wrote. ‘But I must admit that my boys kept me rolling.
‘Because a couple of times, I was like: “I can’t do no more blood transfusions. I can’t do no more operations. I’m just ready to shut it down. It’s enough for me.” But I’m here for a bigger purpose… that guy upstairs put me here for a reason. And I’m gonna get it done.’
He added: ‘Seeing what my boys are doing out there, they’re like: “Dad you’re the toughest dude I know.” That made me keep going.’
Ball said he learned not to ‘waste time’ feeling sorry for himself – ‘OK, my foot is gone, but my brain is still here,’ he said – and urged other people to take extra care of their bodies, insisting his own issue ‘could all have been prevented’.
‘Get your checkups,’ he wrote. ‘Do what you’re supposed to do. If you don’t have insurance, go to urgent care. Because I’m going to tell you this, a little amputation and a little of this, it could all have been prevented.’
He continued: ‘From my experience the last couple months, I want to get in people’s heads the importance of taking care of your health.
‘Especially Black people, because sometimes we’re not trying to go to the hospital, we will try to sleep it off or say: “Yeah, we’ll get to it later”. And sometimes it’s a little more serious than what you think.’
