LaMelo Ball Says Changing Son’s Diapers Is ‘Not My Job,’ Sparks Backlash

Minnesota Timberwolves star LaMelo Ball is facing criticism after revealing he leaves diaper duty for his 9-month-old son, LaOne, to his girlfriend, model Ana Montana.

Ball made the comments on Inside the NBA on Wednesday, Oct. 21, ahead of his regular-season debut with the Timberwolves. When asked whether he changes his son’s diapers, Ball answered, “Oh, nah.”

“My girl do all that. It’s love, for sure,” he said. “She do all that, you know what I’m saying? We got a good game plan going on.”

The 25-year-old point guard framed the arrangement as a division of labor between the couple.

“So I know what I gotta do to bring to the table. She knows what she gotta do to bring to the table,” he explained.

Host Ernie Johnson Jr. pushed back, telling Ball he didn’t know what he was missing. Ball insisted he had done it before but didn’t see it as his responsibility.

“I did it before, you feel me? I’ve definitely did it before, [but] it’s just not my job. You know what I’m saying? It’s not my job,” he said.

The remarks quickly drew backlash on social media, with many users arguing that hands-on parenting should be shared regardless of a father’s career or income. Some critics accused Ball of treating fatherhood as a role limited to providing financially, while others argued that changing diapers is a basic part of caring for a child.

Ball and Montana, whose real name is Analicia Chaves, welcomed LaOne in January but did not publicly confirm his birth until May. The couple first sparked dating rumors in late 2021 and went Instagram official in June 2023. The pair also launched I Am Fertility, a platform and nonprofit that supports women going through fertility treatments and IVF.

The diaper controversy overshadowed what was otherwise a strong start to Ball’s Minnesota tenure. Hours after the interview, he scored 21 points with six assists, two steals and five three-pointers as the Timberwolves routed the Miami Heat 131-106 in their season opener. Backcourt partner Anthony Edwards led the way with 45 points and 10 rebounds.

“The relationship is all the way up,” Ball said of Edwards after the game.

The Timberwolves acquired Ball from the Charlotte Hornets in a blockbuster offseason deal that sent Naz Reid and a package of draft picks to Charlotte. Ball spent his first six NBA seasons with the Hornets, where he won Rookie of the Year in 2021 and was named an All-Star the following season.

Minnesota is betting that pairing Ball with Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, will push the franchise past its recent run of Western Conference Finals exits. Ball was taken third overall in the same draft.