May 05, 2017
If Lonzo Ball is drafted by the Sixers this year (and until that doesn’t happen, we’re going to keep tabs on him), he’s going to wear his own shoes on the new Wells Fargo Center court. Not Nike. Not adidas. Not Under Armour.
BIG BALLER BRAND. Lonzo unveiled his first signature shoes on Thursday:
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
I confess to not knowing a ton about sneakers —Air Max usually gets the job done for me — but these look decent enough for being manufactured by an independent company. I also appreciate that the Ball family is challenging a company like Nike that has a monopoly on basketball sneakers.
So, let’s take a look at the pricing for Lonzo’s shoes. I’m sure it’s pretty reasonab…
HOLY SCHNIKES! $220 FOR SLIDES! Alright, I know enough about sneakers that $495 is an absolutely absurd asking price, and yeah, Lonzo and LaVar got destroyed on Twitter:
Hey @Lavarbigballer real big baller brands don't over charge kids for shoes. pic.twitter.com/N2U0VPXXyt
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) May 4, 2017
This shoe costs $495. I wouldn't even pay that amount if it came with Lonzo Ball as an accessory. pic.twitter.com/MD2MtEkQz1
— Zito (@_Zeets) May 4, 2017
Get those ugly Lonzo Ball shoes for $495 or get 33 Large Ledo Pizzas. pic.twitter.com/DwaXbHAByx
— Ledo Pizza (@LedoPizza) May 4, 2017
Anybody buying those $500 Lonzo Ball sneakers??? pic.twitter.com/HQIBFzCe2P
— Around The League™ (@RTSportsTalk) May 5, 2017
That is a very small sampling, but it seems that in marketing his sons, LaVar Ball has come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Heck, we’re giving it to him right now. Which brings us to this little ditty:
Big Baller's loose! If you can't afford the ZO2'S, you're NOT a BIG BALLER! 💰
— Lavar Ball (@Lavarbigballer) May 4, 2017
A few months ago, I tackled the question if LaVar would scare me away from Lonzo. The answer is still no, but I do wonder if all of the extra attention will affect Lonzo once he goes to the NBA. Brandon Ingram stunk as a rookie, but nobody really cares because there is no such thing as Big Brandon Brand. That won’t be the case with Lonzo, who is a tricky but super talented prospect.
Oh, well. Until then, LaVar Ball is getting what he wants: everyone else talking about Lonzo and LaVar Ball.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
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