Lonzo Ball's Disastrous Appearance On WWE Raw, Explained
Mia Walsh
Published Mar 28, 2026
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NBA point guard Lonzo Ball remains one of the most random celebrities to appear for WWE and have a train wreck appearance. Lonzo was a hot name entering the NBA due to his father Lavar Ball being quite outspoken and entertaining in public interviews. WWE brokered a deal to have Lavar, Lonzo, and LaMelo Ball to all appear on Raw together.
The Miz hosted a Miz TV segment with the basketball family all appearing in a one-off appearance. WWE could not have predicted how crazy things would get with an all-time embarrassing segment. The hopefully harmless fun moment turned into chaos, fines, and WWE issuing a public apology. Any fan owes it to themselves to learn about the absurd Lonzo appearance on WWE TV.
WWE Wanted To Capitalize On The Attention Lavar Ball Was Bringing To Lonzo Ball
WWE wanted to benefit from the attention that Lavar Ball was receiving when his son Lonzo Ball entered the NBA Draft. Lonzo was a top prospect, but his father made some wild interviews comparing himself to Michael Jordan and vowing that the Los Angeles Lakers would draft his son. Many quotes and clips of Lavar went viral, so WWE wanted to get that attention when it made sense.
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Lavar’s guarantee of the Lakers drafting Lonzo came true in the summer before this appearance. WWE booked the entire Ball family to appear in Los Angeles at the Staples Center since Lonzo was going to be the hometown Lakers point guard moving forward. The Miz was the perfect person to have a segment with them since his A-List Hollywood star gimmick working with celebrities was already over.
All parties seemed ready to benefit from an episode of Miz TV with Lavar, Lonzo, and the youngest son, LaMelo. WWE would get the mainstream attention from the lightning rod family, the Ball’s would be on a highly rated show, and Miz would get to enhance his character. Unfortunately, nothing went as expected for anyone involved.
Lavar Ball Took Over The Miz Segment With Dean Ambrose
The Miz was tasked with trying to lead three non-wrestlers through a wrestling segment while also selling his feud with Dean Ambrose. Lavar coming to the ring with a comedic walk and LaMelo with him started the segment before they announced Lonzo to get his own entrance. Miz conducted the interview by trying to put over his own accomplishments and trying to force a brand endorsement with them.
Big Baller Brand was the name of the sneaker line and general brand of the Ball family when Lonzo entered the league. The hope at the time was that Lavar could run his own company to make more money for Lonzo than what Nike or Adidas offered. Lavar started cracking jokes to derail the segment with everyone else trying to move it along.
Lonzo barely did any talking beyond declaring he was excited to play in Los Angeles. Lavar and Miz engaged in trash talk before Lavar took his shirt off in a humorous fashion. LaMelo was overheard cursing on the microphone and making jokes when Dean Ambrose came out. No one could control Lavar as Ambrose tried to reveal he was the wrestler being endorsed by Big Baller Brand, but fans mostly missed that due to the craziness going on in the ring.
WWE Had To Apologize For LaMelo Ball Using A Racial Slur
WWE seemed happy to just get through the segment after the unscripted Lavar and LaMelo moments rubbed them the wrong way. No fan cared more about watching The Miz vs Dean Ambrose due to how bad the segement went. Lonzo barely made any news since he had the most generic comments during his appearance. Lavar did create some headlines, but it mostly from outlets mocking WWE as a punch line.
The swear words used by LaMelo were against the FCC regulations that usually warranted a fine. LaMelo used the n-word, which obviously has a racist context to it, even though that wasn’t his intention. WWE issued a press release the next day calling it inappropriate and claiming it didn't represent their values. Critics did respond to their apology with an old clip of Vince McMahon using the word in a more offensive manner.
Regardless, the entire idea of the Ball family on WWE turned into a huge regret. WWE learned that trying to script unscripted personalities could lead to disaster. Lonzo didn’t have much of an impact for WWE or in the NBA. Lavar going into business for himself with his antics overshadowed Miz and Ambrose. LaMelo is the most relevant of those three today, but WWE has to hide his footage. The Ball family in WWE was a disaster for all involved.
