LaVar Ball has released the new shoe designs for his son Lonzo Ball's first NBA sneakers and he is selling them through his own Big Baller brand. However, when Ball revealed the price of the shoes, it caused many in the sports world to speak out. One of the people who stood up and spoke out against LaVar Ball was NBA Hall of Fame star Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq said that "real big baller brands don't over charge kids for shoes."
LaVar Ball and his son's sneakers
LaVar Ball decided from the start that he would take control of everything about his son's endorsement deals before they even reach the NBA.
Lonzo Ball was set to become a high first-round draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and Ball made it clear that he wanted to partner with a major shoe firm for his three sons, including two that are still in high school. Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour all shot his offer down and LaVar Ball found no one to partner with. He said he would go to China to talk to them and has now announced that he will release his son's shoes on his own.
The price of Lonzo Ball's sneakers
The new shoes are called the ZO2 shoe line and the first sneakers that he introduced will cost $495. There are also $220 sandals and autographed shoes that are selling for $995. The highest priced Jordans released in the last two years were only $400.
Of course, LaVar Ball has said that Lonzo Ball is better than Steph Curry and has also claimed he could play circles around Michael Jordan in their prime so the idea that he would overcharge for shoes is no surprise. There is also the fact that LaVar has revealed that all sales are final, there is no refunds or exchanges, and there will be a wait to get a pair after paying for them.
The website claims that the shoes won't be shipped until Nov. 24, 2017. One has to wonder if the shoes even have a manufacturer yet. It is likely LaVar has no one to make the shoes until he has money from buyers.
The Sports World is Forever Changed. Introducing Lonzo's 1st Signature Shoe: The ZO2 Prime. pic.twitter.com/5JN1OLxlZS
— Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) May 4, 2017
Shaquille O'Neal speaks out
Shaquille O'Neal was one of the first to speak out about the new Lonzo Ball shoes.
He directly tweeted to LaVar Ball and said that the shoes were overcharged to kids. Shaq actually sells his own shoes for between $13 and $68 so that kids can afford to buy them. When LaVar responded, he claimed that kids who can't afford to pay close to $500 for a pair of Lonzo Ball sneakers is not a "real baller," insulting a majority of the kids across the United States. Whether or not the shoes will be a success is still to be seen but LaVar Ball has to hope a lot of kids with wealthy parents will help even out the costs.
