LaMelo Ball and Ana Montana Announce Birth of First Child After IVF Journey
LaMelo Ball helped lead the Charlotte Hornets to their first winning season since 2022, but that was not the highlight of his year.
Ball and Ana Montana welcomed their first child together, a son named LaOne, in January and exclusively revealed the news to PEOPLE on Sunday.
“Welcoming LaOne into the world has changed our hearts in the best way,” Ball and Montana, a model whose birth name is Analicia Chaves, told PEOPLE in a joint statement. “Family has always meant everything to us, but becoming parents has given us an entirely new perspective on love, purpose, legacy and what truly matters most.”
Montana also posted an Instagram carousel and used the caption to announce the launch of I Am Fertility, a nonprofit for women navigating IVF:
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“Motherhood looks different for everyone. Mine took hope, faith, resilience, and trusting God even when I didn't understand the journey,” Montana wrote, in part. “By the grace of God… I get to hold my answered prayer. In honoring his arrival, I felt called to give back and share my testimony! That's why I created @iamfertilitynonprofit to give hope, support, and real opportunity to families on their journey.”
Ball, 24, was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He won the 2021 Rookie of the Year and subsequently earned his first and, so far, only All-Star nod as a second-year player during the 2021-22 season.
Ball struggled with injuries, especially ankle injuries, over the next three years, but this season, he was more available than he’d been since his All-Star season.
Ball played 72 regular-season games, averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 assists. The Hornets made the NBA Play-In Tournament. They beat the Miami Heat in a thriller in the first game, but the Orlando Magic blew them out to eliminate them three days later.
Ball reflected on his sixth NBA season with an Instagram carousel, and Montana commented, “Proud of you.”
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 9:12 PM.