Lavar Ball is kind of an asshole. There is really no other way to describe this man. Unfortunately, he’s not fully to blame for the monster he’s become. We as a culture have perpetuated his nonsense and allowed him to become what he is today. ESPN has trotted this guy out on every show they have (multiple times) and for some reason, given him a world wide audience. Lavar Ball isn’t a superstar. In fact, he’s the worst kind of person; he’s a hanger-on. This guy looks at his sons and only sees dollar signs. He’s not a qualified manager, he’s not a qualified marketer, he’s not a qualified publicist and he sure as shit is not a qualified merchandise designer.
Ball cost his son at least $7 million dollars by pissing off Nike, Adidas and Under Amor. He compared himself to Uber. No, Lavar, Big Baller Brand is not Uber. Why? Because, Uber was an original concept and changed an entire industry. Your ugly ass logo is not revolutionary. First of all, it’s hideous. Second off all, it’s just a a logo that you’re slapping on merchandise. That’s not game changing. It’s the same thing that everyone does, it just so happens that you have no actual brand behind you.
We discussed this whole situation in depth last night on our podcast. For various perspectives feel free to listen below.
One, I repeat ONE NBA player has ever had his own brand licensed by a major shoe company. That player is Michael Jordan. You know, Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time. His daddy didn’t walk into a board room and demand a licensing deal, before he had ever stepped on an NBA court, might I add. He earned it. He added value. People want to “be like Mike.” Instead, Lavar is trying to sell on “look like a bozo with Lonzo.”
I can’t totally blame Lonzo Ball here. He’s a young kid and this is his dad. There’s a good chance that his dad has brain washed him since he was 5 to believe this bullshit hype. But, there’s also the internet and Lonzo has got to be reading this shit. Unless Lavar is keeping those kids on lockdown, North Korean style, they’ve got to know that their Dad is an asshole by now. My biggest fear is that Lavar has control over Lonzo’s money. The poor kid will be broke in three years, funding his father’s failed business ventures. Lavar Ball isn’t a genius business man. He’s a washed up division 1 basketball player, who can’t even compete in men’s over 40 leagues. He’s not a genius marketer for getting on all these TV shows, all he did was make a fool of himself. Three Baller Brand is available online. If you want it, you can buy it. You don’t see anyone wearing it, because it’s ugly and overpriced. If for some reason he got funding to do the shoe on his own, it would likely flop, because it’s hideous. If not, Nike would squash it. It’s really simple.
Nike: “Hey Foot Locker, if you carry 3BB, we’ll pull out of your store and you’ll go out of business.”
Foot Locker: “Yeh, no problem homie, that shit’s ugly any way. Plus, Lavar is kind of an asshole.”
Nike: “I know right? He’s the worst.”
Foot Locker: “For real. Those 3BB shoes are worse than the Curry 2’s.”
Now, I think you’re going to see Lonzo’s draft stock start to fall. He should be no lower than the #3 draft pick this year. I see that falling. This isn’t high school, where Lavar just had his son’s coach fired. This isn’t college. This is the NBA. Do you think someone like Phil Jackson is going to deal with Lavar Ball’s nonsense? Do you think the NBA is going to deal with someone’s dad running their mouth every time something doesn’t go the way he thinks it should? This dude has called out LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Come on. Players in this league are going to take that out on Lonzo. He’s in for a TOUGH rookie season.
And he only has his father to blame for that.