Screenshot of LeMelo Ball during a game
Screenshot of LeMelo Ball during a game
In case you haven’t heard Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball and his girlfriend, Ana Montana, have welcomed their first child together.
The couple recently announced that they have a son they named “LaOne.” For those who don’t know, a Ball family tradition is giving a child a moniker that starts with an “L,” like his two brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo, and their father, LaVar. So there was really no question about what letter the baby’s name would start with, but LaMelo and Montana’s name choice is a little unusual and fans have been joking about it on the internet for days.
When it was revealed that they named him LaOne, social media users had jokes with one person writing, “Will the next child be LaTwo? Or LaDuo? Will Lagello name his first kid LaPuddin?”
Others flooded the comments section of the announcement on X and Instagram, posting, “LaOne has me dead bro,” and “They be naming their children like an online alias.”
A fourth added, “LaOne Ball, at that,” and a fifth chimed in, “Bro they need let go of these names starting with a L.”
“I’m sure they’ll have a nickname or something, also that baby will be rich so they’ll be okay,” a sixth user said.
Another opined, “I’m sure some (celebrity kids’ names) are real but i genuinely believe like 85% of these outlandish names aren’t actually real and are just for privacy reasons. There’s probably another name on the birth certificate.”
But aside from those who are having fun on social media mocking the name choice, there is a great story that came following the child’s birth. After her own IVF journey, Montana, whose real name is Analicia Chaves, announced that she launched I Am Fertility, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women navigating fertility and IVF journeys.
She told Parents, “I Am Fertility was born from a place of compassion and purpose. During my own journey, I realized how many women are struggling silently and don’t feel seen, understood, or supported. I wanted to create something rooted in hope, faith, education, wellness, and community–a place where women know they’re not alone, no matter what their path to motherhood looks like.”
In a tribute to her son on her first Mother’s Day, Montana shared, “In honoring his arrival, I felt called to give back and share my testimony! That’s why I created [I Am Fertility] to give hope, support, and real opportunity to families on their journey.”
The nonprofit focuses on helping other women through education, emotional support, trusted resources, and reproductive health awareness.
“At one point during my IVF journey, I felt overwhelmed, emotional, isolated, and unsure where to turn,” Montana said per People. “That experience inspired me to create I Am Fertility as a safe space where women don’t have to face this journey alone.” In addition, Montana launched The HOPE Grant, which “provides direct financial assistance to women navigating IVF and fertility treatments.”