Late last week it was revealed that Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have all decided against endorsement deals with UCLA's star point guard, and projected top-3 pick in the NBA Draft, Lonzo Ball.
ESPN's Darren Rovell reported that during meetings with the three aforementioned brands, not only did LaVar insist that the companies license his Big Baller Brand, but he also showed up with a prototype of what Lonzo's first signature sneaker should look like.
As it turns out, LaVar reportedly wants those Big Baller Brand shoes to sell in the $200 range.
According to Nick DePaula of The Vertical,
"So far, Big Baller Brand has primarily sold screen-printed T-shirts, sweatshirts and embroidered hats on its web store, with prices ranging from $50-$100 per piece. The brand is targeting the $200 tier for its debut Big Baller Brand basketball sneaker, an industry source told The Vertical, which would presumably be Lonzo’s signature shoe for his rookie season. LaVar and associate Alan Foster reportedly have been developing the shoe over the past year."
The kicks have yet to be revealed, but twitter is already having a field day imagining what the BBB sneakers will look like.
DePaula also notes that Ball's reps have also reached out to Chinese-based brands like Li-Ning, Anta and Peak, though the two parties have not yet discussed any potential deals.
If Lonzo doesn't sign any endorsement deal, and at this point that is a real scenario, it's presumed that he'll play his rookie season in a Big Baller Brand sneaker which is uncharted territory for such a highly touted draft pick.
