ESPN’s Darren Rovell says LaVar Ball turned down $10 million sneaker deals from Nike, adidas and Under Armour.
Big Baller Brand co-founder LaVar Ball is sticking to his guns and banking on himself and his family. In an interview on the Dan Patrick show, Rovell said that despite initial reports stating that the three major sneaker brands were backing off from the Ball family due to their insistence that they form a partnership instead of get a traditional endorsement, they each offered Lonzo Ball a five-year $10 million deal.
He says the elder Ball turned down the deals and in the process eliminated the option of Lonzo making even more money if he were to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with with #2 pick in this month’s NBA Draft.
“It’s strange to me that LaVar didn’t at least fold some of his cards and go back to the shoe companies in earnest,” he said. “After the Lakers thing goes down and the perfect scenario is going to unfold, the new deal, Nike (to) five years and $20 million. But what does LaVar Ball do? Instead of saying he now wants $1 billion, he now wants $3 billion.”
After this “news” broke, many have repeated the idea that LaVar is “costing” his son millions. When in reality, he isn’t costing him anything. Lonzo Ball did not lose $10 or $20 million because it was never his to begin with. That money is still Nike, adidas and Under Armour’s. It never hit his bank account and he doesn’t owe any money to anyone.
What Ball does have is his own sneaker and his own creative control, unlike some stars who seem to have lucrative sneaker deals.
Later in the interview, Rovell commended Ball on his ability keep people talking about his brand, whether they love it or hate it. He also mentioned that ultimately, all of the talk is irrelevant. All that really matters is how Lonzo performs on the court once he is drafted.
Watch below.
Photo: FS1 Screenshot
