LaMelo Ball and Ana Montana Welcome Son LaOne

LaMelo Ball and Ana Montana chose Mother’s Day to share the news they’d been holding close since January — they’re parents. The Charlotte Hornets star and the model, whose full name is Analicia Chaves, revealed exclusively to People that they welcomed a son named LaOne earlier this year, and the announcement came paired with something bigger than a birth notice.

“Welcoming LaOne into the world has changed our hearts in the best way,” the couple said 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. He has brought so much happiness and meaning into our lives, and we’re incredibly grateful to God for trusting us with such a special blessing. We’re embracing this new chapter with so much love and excitement as we raise and guide our son together.”

The People feature included photos of each parent with their newborn — though only LaOne’s legs made it into the frame. What was visible, though, was hard to miss: the baby was already wearing an infant version of his dad’s signature Puma MB.01 sneaker. Starting them young.

The Name Everyone’s Talking About

LaOne. The internet had questions.

The name hit social media fast, with some fans initially convinced the announcement had come from a parody account because it sounded too on-brand to be real. “Is he tryna get his son bullied at school,” one person wrote on X. Another joked, “LMAOOO We’re giving kids NBA 2K gamertag names now?” Some users assumed it originated from the notorious joke account NBACentel.

But for anyone who knows the Ball family, the name makes complete sense. LaVar Ball — LaMelo’s father, founder of Big Baller Brand, and the man who turned his sons into a cultural phenomenon before any of them played a single NBA minute — named his boys Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo. LaOne fits right in. “Yes indeed,” LaVar said on the Ball in the Family Podcast with Lonzo & Gelo Ball back in March, when he first let the baby’s existence slip. “If I raised ya’ three killas’ in the backyard, what do you think I’ma do with a gym in the backyard?”

Plenty of fans came through with the love too. “What a beautiful blessing welcome to the world, little LaOne!” one supporter wrote. Another added, “Congrats to LaMelo and Ana, LaOne’s a baller name already.”

Ana Montana’s IVF Journey — and What She’s Building From It

The birth announcement was only half the story. Alongside it, Montana revealed that LaOne was conceived through IVF — and that the experience of navigating that process alone and overwhelmed became the foundation for something she’s now turning into a real resource for other women.

“At one point during my IVF journey, I felt overwhelmed, emotional, isolated and unsure where to turn,” she said. “That experience inspired me to create I Am Fertility as a safe space where women don’t have to face this journey alone. This is more than awareness, it’s about creating real support, real access and a community where women feel seen, understood and hopeful.”

The nonprofit, called I Am Fertility, is built to provide education, emotional support, reproductive health awareness, and access to trusted resources for women going through fertility treatments. Montana’s goal is straightforward: she wants women to have what she didn’t — a community that actually shows up.

As part of the launch, she’s introducing The Hope Grant, which will award $5,000 each to two women actively navigating IVF or fertility care. Applications opened on Mother’s Day and close June 1. It’s a practical acknowledgment that the barriers women face in this process aren’t just emotional — they’re financial too.

A First Mother’s Day Worth Marking

Montana marked the occasion on Instagram with a gallery that opened on a black-and-white video of her holding LaOne’s tiny hand. Set to a trend inspired by Justin Bieber’s “Everything Hallelujah,” the caption read: “My first of many Mother’s Day, Hallelujah / Living in an answered prayer, Hallelujah / Found my purpose, Hallelujah / Launched my nonprofit iAMfertility, Hallelujah / A God that provides, Hallelujah.”

LaMelo, the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year who’s been with Montana since 2023, showed up in the comments. “We love you mamí,” he wrote, followed by a string of heart emojis. “happy mother’s day.”

Ball and Montana have kept much of their relationship private despite LaMelo’s massive platform and visibility as one of the NBA’s most recognizable young stars. Choosing to frame this moment — their son’s birth, Montana’s IVF story, the nonprofit launch — as a single, deliberate announcement says a lot about the chapter they’re stepping into together.

LaOne is here. And his parents are already making sure his arrival means something beyond their household.