Who is Lavar Ball’s wife, Tina Ball? All the facts and details

Who is Lavar Ball’s wife, Tina Ball? All the facts and details

Grace Waruguru
updated at July 20, 2023 at 5:44 AM

Lavar Ball's wife has been an integral part of his career and that of their children. The sports-loving family is a household name in basketball and football. Her sons have lauded Tina Ball as the person who has held everything together. Who is Lavar's wife, and what are some exciting details about her? Read on to find out.

Lavar Ball wife
Tina Ball and her husband Lavar Ball (L) and with her son LaMelo Ball (R). Photo: @tina_ball_, @melo (Modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Lavar and his wife, Tina, were college sweethearts who married in 1997. She trained her sons when they were aspiring basketball players. Additionally, she has helped with the setup and design work in the family business, playing a behind-the-scenes role. Here is everything you need to know about Lavar Ball's wife.

Tina Ball's profile summary

Full name

Tina Catherine Slatinsky

Age

55 years old (As of 2023)

Date of birth

December 11, 1967

Nickname

Mama Ball

Zodiac sign

Sagittarius

Place of birth

Chino Hills, California, United States

Current residence

Florida, USA

Ethnicity

White

Nationality

American

Religion

Christian

Marital status

Married

Spouse

Lavar Ball

Children

Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, LaMelo Ball

Parents

Bob Slatinsky and Catherine Slatinsky

Height

6 feet, 1 inch

Weight

70kgs

Hair colour

Blonde

Eye colour

Blue

Education

California State University, Los Angeles

Profession

Former basketball player, teacher, designer

Social media presence

Instagram

Tina Ball's age

How tall is Tina Ball
Tina Ball watches a game with her son Lonzo on December 12, 2017. Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler
Source: Getty Images

Lavar Ball's wife's name is Tina Catherine Slatinsky. She is also known as Tina Ball (age 55 years as of July 2023) and was born on December 11, 1967, in Chino Hills, California, USA. Her parents are Bob and Catherine Slatinsky.

How tall is Tina Ball?

Tina stands at a height of 6 feet and 1 inch. Her height was ideal for her basketball career, which she had started to build in school.

Education

Lavar Ball's wife attended Alta Loma High School, where she was one of the top basketball players. In her senior year, she was selected for the All-Baseline League pick, averaging 15.8 points and 18.2 rebounds. After graduation, she joined the California State University in Los Angeles, representing her school at the Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles Women's Team competition.

Tina finished her college career strong, ranking 8th with 935 points, fifth in field goal attempts (1165 points), eighth in field goals (541 points), and fourth in rebounds (627).

Tina Ball and Lavar Ball

What happened to Tina Ball
Lavar Ball and his wife met at the university and tied the know in 1997. Photo: Allen Berezovsky
Source: Getty Images

Tina and her husband, Lavar, met at the university. He transferred from West Los Angeles College to California State University. He was fascinated by her height and beauty and immediately asked her out because she was tall enough to give him tall children. According to ESPN.com, Lavar Ball said to Tina,

You and me, we're gonna do something. You just don't know it yet.

Ball was, and still is, a go-getter and was willing to do anything to get Tina's attention. Despite her father's strict policies and overprotectiveness of his daughter, Lavar won her heart, and they tied the knot in 1997. Tina's husband was a professional footballer who abruptly retired in 1995 due to an injury and became a personal trainer based in California.

Children

The Balls have three sons, Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo Ball. The three are all professional basketball players affiliated with different teams across the country.

Lonzo Lamelo

Lavar Ball wife name
Lavar Ball's wife with their lastborn son, LaMelo Ball. Photos: @melo (Modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Lonzo is the couple's firstborn son. He was born on October 26, 1997. He joined the 2017 NBA draft as the second overall pick by Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the Chicago Bulls in 2021 and plays as a point guard. Additionally, Lozo is the father of one daughter, Christine Ball, born in 2018.

LiAngelo Ball

Tina's second-born son, LiAngelo, was born on November 24, 1998. He got involved in a shoplifting case in China in 2017, which saw him leave the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined BC Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and is now part of the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).

LaMelo Ball

LaMelo is Tina and Lavar's lastborn son, also a basketball player who is part of the Charlotte Hornets as a point guard. He was born on August 22, 2001.

What does Tina Ball do for a living?

Tina loved to play basketball in her earlier years. She was a significant part of her sons' careers and would train them when they were younger. After college, she took a back seat from actively playing and ventured into teaching and design.

Instead, Lavar's wife took up coaching and worked as an Athletic Director and Physical Education Teacher at the Vernon Middle School in Montclair, California. Additionally, Tina was heavily involved in the family business, Big Baller Brand, which launched in 2016. She helped with the design of the apparel and merchandise company.

Tina Ball's health

When did Tina Ball suffer a stroke? Tina Ball suffered unexpected health challenges in the course of her career. In February 2017, as she was working at home, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. She was diagnosed with a stroke on her right side, which medical experts said would leave her in post-coma unresponsiveness for the rest of her life.

What happened to Tina Ball?

Tina Ball health
Tina Ball with her husband Lavar (L) and their sons LiAngelo (R) and LaMelo (Second right) during a basketball game on December 12, 2017. Photo: Matteo Marchi
Source: Getty Images

Mrs Lavar Ball was in the hospital for two and a half months. After being discharged, Tina started recovering from home, undergoing therapy thanks to her family's and parents' support. She also suffered expressive aphasia that affected her speech, so she communicated through writing.

Her parents were also an integral part of Tina Ball's recovery. She lived with them for a while, and they helped her with her written communication and pronunciation of words.

Where is Tina Ball after the stroke?

Lavar's wife has been recovering well. She has slowly regained feeling in her right side but uses a cane to walk. However, she is still actively involved in her sons' lives, careers, and the family business. Her husband has also been instrumental in her healing journey, helping her to regain mobility.

Where is Tina Ball in 2023? Lavar Ball's wife is the epitome of strength and the resilience to rise after life throws you a curveball. Her children have consistently mentioned her as the backbone of their success. On the other hand, Lavar has supported her through her healing journey and helped their children make significant strides in their sporting careers.

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Authors
Grace Waruguru photo
Grace Waruguru
Grace has over 4 years of experience in article writing and digital media content creation for various local and global brands. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication (Public Relations) from Daystar University, Kenya.