In a recent appearance on the Angel Reese Show, new Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Lonzo Ball, gave fans a glimpse into the personal side of his journey.
Sitting down with WNBA star Angel Reese, Ball spoke about what it was like growing up with LaVar Ball as his father… a man whose parenting style has been as polarizing as it is persistent.
“He made it clear that it was needed to get where you want to go,” Lonzo said, reflecting on LaVar’s famously intense approach to raising his three sons. “So, we knew where it was coming from—a place of love. It was definitely tough sometimes, your dad being that hard on you. But ultimately, I think it made us better people and better basketball players, so I thank him for it”.
Lonzo Ball on being raised by LaVar Ball 💯👀 pic.twitter.com/nToFuAgEXe
— Unapologetically Angel (@angelreeseshow) July 7, 2025
LaVar Ball, once a college athlete himself, never played professionally. But he poured his energy into shaping his sons into elite basketball players from the time they were infants, reportedly training them as early as 10 months old. His methods were unconventional, even extreme at times. He famously made LaMelo switch shooting hands after being born left-handed, and he served as their full-time coach, trainer, and hype man.
Lonzo, the eldest of the Ball brothers, was the first to break into the NBA spotlight, and with that came the rise of LaVar’s media persona. From claiming he could beat Michael Jordan one-on-one to insisting Lonzo had nothing to learn from LeBron James, LaVar became a headline machine. But behind the bravado was a father deeply invested in his sons’ success.
On the show, Lonzo didn’t shy away from acknowledging the emotional toll of that upbringing.
“It was hard sometimes,” he admitted. “But we understood the goal. He wanted us to be ready for anything.”
That preparation paid off. Lonzo became the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, LaMelo followed as the No. 3 pick in 2020, and LiAngelo, while undrafted, has played professionally and recently launched a music career.
Today, LaVar is quieter than he once was, having undergone a foot amputation and stepped back from the spotlight. But his legacy lives on through his sons, who continue to navigate the highs and lows of professional sports with the grit he taught them.
