An overview of the childhood and early education of LaVar Ball, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
LaVar Ball is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of Big Baller Brand and the now-defunct Junior Basketball Association (JBA). He gained notoriety for his outspoken personality and promotion of his sons, Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, both professional basketball players in the NBA. His middle son, LiAngelo Ball, has recently signed a record deal with Def Jam as a hip hop recording artist. Ball's influence extends beyond business into sports and entertainment due to his sons' success and his own media presence.
October 23, 1967: LaVar Ball's Birth
On October 23, 1967, LaVar Christopher Ball was born. He is now an American businessman, co-founder and CEO of Big Baller Brand, and the father of professional basketball players Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, as well as hip hop recording artist LiAngelo Ball.
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1986: College Basketball Season Opener
In 1986, LaVar Ball played college basketball at West Los Angeles College. In the season opener, he recorded 33 points and 18 rebounds against Porterville College.
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1997: Marriage to Tina Slatinsky
In 1997, LaVar Ball married Tina Slatinsky, whom he met at Cal State Los Angeles.
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July 2015: Ball Family Featured by CBS Sports
In July 2015, LaVar Ball and his sons garnered national sports headlines when Gary Parrish of CBS Sports wrote a feature story about the Ball family.
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March 2016: MaxPreps Interview
In a March 2016 interview with MaxPreps, LaVar Ball began displaying his confident personality to the public, describing his son Lonzo as "Magic (Johnson) with a jumper."
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August 2016: SLAM Magazine Article
In August 2016, the Ball family's popularity rose after SLAM magazine featured them in an article.
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November 26, 2016: Guaranteed UCLA NCAA Tournament Win
On November 26, 2016, LaVar Ball guaranteed in a TV interview that UCLA, led by his son Lonzo, would win the 2017 NCAA Division I Tournament.
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March 13, 2017: Statements About Michael Jordan
On March 13, 2017, LaVar Ball stated in an interview that he "would kill Michael Jordan one-on-one" in his prime. This statement resulted in significant media attention and ridicule.
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March 2017: Statement About Lonzo and Stephen Curry
In early March 2017, LaVar Ball said he viewed Lonzo as a better player than Stephen Curry, the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2015 and 2016. These comments were widely criticized.
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November 7, 2017: LiAngelo Ball's Arrest in China
On November 7, 2017, LaVar Ball's son LiAngelo and two UCLA teammates were arrested in China for shoplifting, which led to involvement from U.S. President Donald Trump for their release.
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2017: Making National Sports Headlines
In 2017, LaVar Ball began making national sports headlines due to a series of bold statements, including claiming his son Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry and that he could defeat Michael Jordan one-on-one. This drew both praise and criticism.
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2017: LiAngelo briefly attends UCLA
In 2017, LiAngelo Ball briefly attended UCLA before joining LaMelo out in Lithuania later that year.
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June 2018: Statement about Kobe Bryant
In June 2018, LaVar Ball mentioned he could take on Kobe Bryant one-on-one due to Bryant's injury that took him out of the game in 2016.
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March 2020: YouTube Video Views
As of March 2020, a YouTube video of LaVar Ball arguing with Stephen A. Smith about his comments on Michael Jordan has received more than 6 million views.
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December 3, 2020: Bleacher Report Simulation
On December 3, 2020, Bleacher Report posted a video of a simulated one-on-one match in NBA 2K21 between LaVar Ball and Michael Jordan, where Jordan defeated Ball 22-3.
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February 19, 2025: Foot Amputation
On February 19, 2025, it was revealed that LaVar Ball had his right foot amputated due to a "serious medical issue".
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