LaVar Ball discusses why Nike meetings failed
Although projected lottery pick Lonzo Ball and his brothers are free to wear whatever shoes they want in public or in games, they likely won’t be wearing any of their own sponsored by their favorite brands growing up. Top brands Nike, Under Armour and Adidas passed on endorsing Ball back April after meetings with his outspoken father, LaVar.
In an interview with Complex, LaVar Ball explained what happened in the Nike meeting in further detail.
“This is what’s happening with them, they weren’t ready for this change,” Ball said of the meeting with Nike, that he noted none of his sons attended. “Every meeting was with a guy who wanted to endorse. That’s the wrong guy for our meetings. We want co-branding. I need them VPs and CEOs — just like I am.
"I’m meeting with the wrong people, so I’m sending them back and saying, ‘I don’t want no endorsement deal.’ That’s where everyone was getting, ‘Oh, LaVar wants a billion-dollar endorsement deal!’ I never said I wanted an endorsement deal. You guys endorse. I’m co-branding. Those Triple B's will be on the shoe.”
LaVar did jokingly up the price for a co-sponsored shoe deal to $3 billion during an interview with Fox Sports, and he continues to hype Lonzo’s $495 ZO2 shoes as “symbolic.” LaVar picked up a Jordan shoe in the Complex interview and looked perplexed at the $500 price tag — before defending the ZO2s.
“What’s small in the word Big? Know what you’re going to,” Ball said. “Don’t go to Rolls-Royce saying you need a Toyota.”
LaVar also offered a bizarre sales line in the interview, explaining that shoes are “two things, stitching and glue.”
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