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Lonzo Ball Releases First Signature Shoe With Big Baller Brand

By Rhett Mizer
Published on: 11:31 PST, May 4, 2017

Lonzo Ball is a potential No. 1 overall draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and he has officially revealed his first signature shoe. The shoe is being sold by his father’s business, Big Baller Brand, that also involves Lonzo’s two brothers. The release of the shoe comes shortly after news was released that several major shoe companies denied to sign an endorsement deal with Lonzo.

Three versions of Lonzo’s shoe are now available for pre-order via the Big Baller Brand website. They offer the ZO2: WET edition of the shoe that will be personally autographed by Lonzo and will come in a clear acrylic enclosure complete with LED lighting. There is a catch in that a pair of the WETs will cost you a whopping $995.

A more practical version of the shoe is the ZO2: Prime. This shoe is currently available for pre-order as well, and, like the WETs, will include a “full bed of shock absorbent material keeps the shoe lightweight for high-speed performance.” Lonzo’s shoe will also feature a hand-painted bottom and a matte black finish while costing you $494. Ordering either of these pairs of shoes in size 14 or 15 will cost you an extra $200. Finally, Big Baller Brand and Lonzo released a signature slide. These will feature Lonzo’s logo as well as the logo of Big Baller Brand and can be pre-ordered for $220.

When ordering a pair of Lonzo’s new shoes, you should be prepared to wait to receive them. The Big Baller Brand website mentions that the shoes will ship by November 24. Also, you cannot change your mind about the shoes during your wait for them as the website also says that all sales are final and no refunds or exchanges will be offered.

While Lonzo is projected to be a top pick in the draft, his father, LaVar, is perhaps the most famous out of all the members in the Ball family. He has caused multiple media frenzies during his son’s rise to fame, including a claim that, in his prime, he could beat Michael Jordan one on one. LaVar was also a potential reason why Lonzo was unable to sign a shoe deal. ESPN points out that the shoe that Big Baller Brand revealed was already made during their pitches to the major shoe companies. According to SB Nation, LaVar wanted the shoe companies to not only sign a deal with his son Lonzo, but also with the Big Baller Brand as a whole. According to ESPN LaVar said this regarding his son’s failure to sign a shoe deal:

“We 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.”

His proposed partnership would have then included both of Lonzo’s little brothers, Liangelo and LaMelo, who have each committed to play for UCLA as well. LaMelo has also caused a great deal of hype following his 92-point performance during his high school game at Chino Hills.

Lonzo was a one-and-done player at UCLA and in a mock draft by Chris Stone via Fansided, he is projected to go to the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA draft. However, due to the NBA’s lottery process, if the Lakers win the first pick they would likely take him, according to a report by Sports Illustrated, who said that they are “enamored” by Ball. Lonzo has also publicly stated that he would like to play for the Lakers and would enjoy the opportunity to stay in California near his hometown of Chino Hills. According to ESPN, the phenom averaged 14.6 points per game while also racking up 7.6 assists. Lonzo led the Bruins to a sweet 16 berth in the March Madness tournament before falling to the Kentucky Wildcats.

[Featured Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

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