Entering the NBA Draft as a consensus top-two overall selection, UCLA guard Lonzo Ball should have been showered in potential entry-level endorsement deals from major sportswear brands. Instead, it looks like Ball will enter the league without a shoe deal. At least not one from any of the three major sportswear brands.
Friday, ESPN's Darren Rovell reported that Nike, Adidas and Under Armour all decided that they are not interested in working with Lonzo on a shoe deal. It's an unprecedented move, as nearly every single top draft prospect in modern-day history has entered the league with some form of shoe deal. According to ESPN's report, the three major sportswear brands left the negotiation table due to Lonzo's father, LaVar, insisting that they license his Big Baller Brand from him.
Speaking with ESPN, LaVar stated that he isn't looking to land his son an endorsement deal, he's looking to get the family a co-branding partner.
"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal. 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."
Yes, LaVar just compared BBB to Uber. Once word of Nike, Adidas and Under Armour all backing away from Lonzo got out, basketball fans online got out their roasting torches, pulling no punches in their all-out roast on Ball not landing a shoe deal.
So which brand (if any) will be bold enough to partner with the Ball family? We'll just have to wait and see.
