Zealous basketball dad LaVar Ball's plans for his Big Baller Brand apparel company are as big as the plans he has for his top NBA prospect son Lonzo. But unfortunately for him, Nike, nor Under Armour, nor Adidas care to pursue negotiations for an endorsement deal with Ball's eldest boy, if it means they've got to talk business with Big Baller Brand.
LaVar and all three companies have confirmed that they are no longer in talks to sponsor Lonzo with a sneaker deal, which is atypical taking into account that he is arguably the biggest name going into the 2017 NBA draft. According to reports, talks fell apart due to LaVar's insistence that whatever company might be interested in having Lonzo represent them, also consider the fact that they are not looking for a commercial deal, but for something new and unprecedented in sports. "We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar told ESPN. "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either."
While Big Baller Brand has made waves off of the back of LaVar's media antics, successfully selling thousands of T-shirts and hats in the $38-$100 range, to say that such a new and untested brand has yet built the kind of reputation that might have made LaVar's offer enticing enough that a Nike couldn't refuse, would be an understatement. Still, the Ball father has remained persistent, posing that "When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion, those guys weren't profitable."
According to reports, during meetings with the three companies, LaVar went so far as to present a shoe design that he wanted to be put out as Lonzo's first on the market. A statement put out by Nike consultant George Raveling hints at just how turned off they were by LaVar's proposal, with Raveling calling him "the worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years." LaVar remains undeterred, stating that he will now pursue some of the Chinese brands that have invested in the market.
"Just imagine how rich Tiger [Woods], Kobe [Bryant], Serena [Williams], [Michael] Jordan and LeBron [James] would have been if they dared to do their own thing," says LaVar. "No one owned their own brand before they turned pro. We do, and I have three sons, so it's that much more valuable."
Source: espn.com
