Lonzo Ball’s father LaVar Ball turned down $10 million shoe deals from Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour.
Over the last few months, there hasn’t been a more outspoken figure in the world of sports than LaVar Ball. The loudmouth father has been on record stating how his son is better than Steph Curry right now and how he himself would beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one. There have been plenty more outlandish remarks from LaVar, but that would take all night to get through.
Last month, LaVar’s Big Baller Brand unveiled Lonzo’s debut “ZO2” sneakers, which caused tons of controversy. While it’s cool that Lonzo has his own signature sneaker before even being drafted, what’s not cool is the price tag. The sneaker cost $495.
Yes, $495 for a player who hasn’t even played in a Summer League game, let alone a regular season contest.
To make matters worse, LaVar declined $10 million shoe deals from the top three shoe companies in the business. ESPN’s business reporter Darren Rovell had some strong remarks on the subject.
"“It’s strange to me that LaVar didn’t at least fold some of his cards and go back to the shoe companies in earnest,” he said. “After the Lakers thing goes down and the perfect scenario is going to unfold, the new deal, Nike (to) five years and $20 million. But what does LaVar Ball do? Instead of saying he now wants $1 billion, he now wants $3 billion.”"
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With the Los Angeles Lakers holding the number two pick, many believe LaVar will get his wish of Lonzo rocking the purple and gold, but no matter how much hype he gets, fans and media alike want to see if Lonzo will produce on the court or not.
Due to LaVar’s mouth, the pressure on Lonzo will rival the pressure LeBron James received out of high school.