Yes, you read that headline right.
If there’s really no such thing as bad publicity, then LaVar Ball is a marketing genius. A year ago his son was a highly sought after high school senior known only to recruitniks, today we are all talking about Lonzo Ball’s signature shoes and where he lands in the draft.
Yes, signature shoe — at a price point of $495. Yes, more than the most expensive Jordans. For an undrafted rookie some scouts think will be a slightly above average starting point guard in the NBA (to be fair, others are much higher). So you can imagine how Twitter reacted, since it already enjoys mocking LaVar and his “marketing” efforts.
Here are the shoes.
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
This is my personal favorite new part of the brand.
Here are the $220 Lonzo Ball flip flops pic.twitter.com/cZJKN1BeZb
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 4, 2017
I’m not enough of a sneakerhead to say if these look a lot like recent Kobe’s, but I do know Ball can wear these in games. Also, teams are not shying away from drafting Ball because of his father, they see that as a distraction they can deal with.
Bart Simpson once said of emo music “making teenagers depressed is like shooting fish in a barrel,” I feel the same way about mocking LaVar Ball. He’s getting his own shoe made for his son, which is something, even if he is doing so in the most tone-deaf possible of ways. But I don’t even need to mock him, there was plenty of criticism online, with Shaq at the front of the class.
Hey @Lavarbigballer real big baller brands don't over charge kids for shoes. pic.twitter.com/N2U0VPXXyt
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) May 4, 2017
Name a more iconic trio. pic.twitter.com/LcSk5TjAzb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 4, 2017
Lonzo Ball: Raider of the Lost Kobes. pic.twitter.com/oKSNeJQasE
— Cycle (@bycycle) May 4, 2017