In a personal essay published Tuesday in Slam Magazine, LaVar Ball detailed a life-threatening health scare that led to his right leg being amputated below the knee in January.

Complications from diabetes led to him being hospitalized for over a month, needing three amputations and four blood transfusions.

Ball said his hospital stay coincided with LiAngelo Ball's song "Tweaker" going viral in January: "Funny how life works sometimes." "I had an infection on my foot that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes,

When Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball were breaking onto the scene as basketball prospects, their father, LaVar, was a constant presence. He'd grab headlines with his outlandish remarks and turned himself into the main character in his sons' basketball stories.

LaVar Ball — dad of NBA players LaMelo and Lonzo and rapper LiAngelo — says he thought 'just kill me' while dealing with diabetes complications that led to amputation of his leg.

LaVar Ball has opened up about his ongoing health battles, as the Big Baller Brand founder recently lost his right foot due to an amputation procedure. Ball, who appears on the April/May issue of SLAM magazine alongside his sons,

Lavar Ball was getting a lot of attention in NBA circles. He was saying some outlandish things about his son Lonzo Ball right before he was going to be a top pick in the NBA Draft. Some of the things were more than a father being confident in the abilities of his son and trying to talk him up.

LaVar Ball, father of basketball stars Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo, recently opened up about the challenging health struggles he’s faced after having his right foot amputated. In an exclusive for SLAM magazine,