Lonzo Ball denounced claims made by a former Big Baller Brand business partner, Alan Foster, regarding his injuries.
This week, Foster released a video on his YouTube page in which he claims Lonzo suffered torn ligaments in his ankle prior to being traded to New Orleans. Foster alleges the family was set to have surgery to repair the injury but the Lakers stopped him because it would hurt their chances of getting Anthony Davis. "No team would have wanted Lonzo with an ankle injury, recovering from surgery," Foster says in the video.
Both the Pelicans and the Ball family have stepped in to deny Foster's accusations. In a statement to TMZ, a New Orleans representative says, "The team strongly debunks this and was very aware of Lonzo's injury history and status [before we traded for him]." The Ball family took a more direct approach when addressing the claims. "Alan Foster has repeatedly lied, defrauded and stole from the Ball family," family spokesperson Denise White said. "Anything he says cannot be trusted."
It should also be noted that Lonzo Ball is participating in the Pelicans' preseason competitions. If the team or Ball were aware of an ankle injury it is likely New Orleans would sideline him to avoid any additional damage. This is something the team did to Zion Williamson as it was announced that knee soreness will delay the start of his rookie season.
Foster's relationship with the Ball family turned sour over claims that Foster stole $1.5 million from Lonzo Ball. This prompted Lonzo to file a lawsuit against Foster and the Ball family cut ties with him. Foster responded by stating he will reveal all the family's secrets and the injury claim is his first attempt at soiling the Ball name.
