Fansided

LaVar Ball wants shoe deal over college eligibility for his son

By Brad Berreman

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Lavar Ball and LaMelo Ball look on from the audience during week eight of the BIG3 three on three basketball league at Staples Center on August 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Lavar Ball and LaMelo Ball look on from the audience during week eight of the BIG3 three on three basketball league at Staples Center on August 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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LaVar Ball is obviously self-serving, but he’s going to another level now regarding his son’s future college eligibility.

LaVar Ball pushes his Big Baller brand at every turn, which in the name o capitalism is not necessarily wrong. His oldest son Lonzo is NBA bound with a signature shoe that retails for $495.

LaMelo Ball recently turned 16, and he has committed to follow his brothers to UCLA as a top-10 player in the Class of 2019. But his signature shoe-the MB1-became available on Thursday for pre-order on the Big Baller website. That would surely put his college eligibility at risk, which was essentially confirmed by a statement from the NCAA to ESPN’s Darren Rovell.

"“Generally speaking, a college athlete or prospect paid for use of their athletics reputation or ability risks their future eligibility in that sport.”“This includes profiting from the sale of items bearing the young person’s name,” NCAA spokesperson Emily James told Rovell. “NCAA rules, however, do allow prospects to promote commercial products prior to enrollment, provided it is not for pay.”"

But, as expected, LaVar won’t be told what to do by any entity he doesn’t control. During LaMelo’s birthday party on Saturday, he made his priority clear.

"“He’s going to have a shoe,” LaVar said Saturday night during his son’s 16th birthday party, held at an event space at the Chino Airport. “NCAA ain’t going to tell me s—. Because they’re not my boss. That’s what they do, but they’re not going to be like, ‘Oh, LaVar, you can’t bring that shoe out until we tell you.’ What? Something that I’m doing for my family? That’s mine? I’m not under no umbrella.”"

The NCAA has flaws, including not allowing athletes to profit from their likeness or their own intellectual property. But there are rules in place, and LaVar seems intent to not care about them even if it risks LaMelo’s college eligibility. His path to the NBA would get murky then too, assuming he has the talent to play at that level, but LaVar has an early plan for that too.

“We’ll sit out a year or two, “Just get stronger and faster, and then go into [NBA training] camp as a free agent.”

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LaVar Ball vs. the NCAA could be an interesting battle, but it may never ramp up completely. He’ll take any opportunity to speak on the matter, though, that’s for sure.