LaVar Ball Defends the Big Baller Brand Sneakers

LaVar Ball explains the reasoning behind the Big Baller Brand Z02.

Big Baller Brand Slam Magazine
Image via SLAM Magazine
Big Baller Brand Slam Magazine

For the past few months, LaVar Ball and his three sons, Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo, have provided no shortage of entertainment. LaVar has constantly made headlines with his outlandish statements; their first signature model, the ZO2, debuted under their Big Baller Brand with no backing from a major sneaker company; Lonzo was drafted second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers; and the family even recently appeared on WWE's Monday Night Raw. 

For this month's Slam Magazine cover story, penned by LaVar, the father defends his decision to start Big Baller Brand. LaVar insists that he is paving the way for future players and their families, and suggests he'll be looked back on for doing more good than bad. The player should ultimately be seen as the brand, and LaVar is doing his best to illustrate that with BBB.

"We just want to inspire people and show them that there’s a different lane you can travel in. It’s OK to step out and do it another way," he writes. "Only a select few will do it, but folks will start creating their own brands, like we’ve done with BBB, and more and more families will begin feeling comfortable with betting on themselves."

Although plenty have criticized the $495 price tag for the ZO2 model and questioned its quality, LaVar is quick to defend the integrity of his son's signature model: "We’re happy with the quality of the ZO2s. I would never put my own son in a shoe that’s going to put him at risk of getting hurt."

Big Baller Brand's most recent release was a three-shoe pack that featured pairs done up in red, white, and blue colorways celebrating Independence Day.

Big Baller Brand ZO2 Independence Day