I'm 27 year old male, how can i deal with a chronic degenerative disk in my lower back so i'm not in pain for a period time during and after lower body related activities like water skiing or basketball?

Tough problem: Your disc problem will not get better by itself. It will mean an appointment with a top flight orthopedic surgeon recommended by your family physician and a sports medicine physical therapist. We are talking about months of treatment. There is light at the end of the tunnel to reduce your pain & disability but I think the light is dimmed for the sports your would like to do.

Too young for pain: you are too young to start having pain of course disc problem do not discriminate against any age so you need to know what kind of degenerative disc disease you have and if you have any herniation or bulging and if any nerve root involved or not meanwhile you need to do stretching exercise and use pain patches and NSAID for pain with muscle relaxant you need to be under the care of your doctor

Train your core: Train your core muscles, warm up and stretch your activity, use warm compresses and ibuprofen after