Each year, the NBA Draft gives the league's 30 franchises the opportunity to markedly improve their fortunes. Almost every year, there are a handful of big name players from the college and international ranks that dominate the headlines and 24 hour media cycle. This year though, the NBA Draft's biggest name isn't a player at all; it's Lavar Ball, the father of a player who is expected to be one of the top picks in this year's draft; Lonzo Ball. To say that Lavar has made some outlandish comments in the past may be an understatement, but his most recent comments may have taken the cake.
In an interview with Fox Sport's 1's 'The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Lavar Ball revealed that he sold around 400 to 500 pairs of his $495 ZO2 shoes that he launched two weeks ago. When asked about the big shoe companies, Ball replied that they would regret not agreeing to a deal with him after his son is drafted by the only team he wants his son on; the Los Angeles Lakers.
(Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
"Now that Lonzo's headed to Los Angeles, what they should have done is give me a billion dollars and let me be on my way," said Lonzo. And he didn't stop there. "Now you know … if they want to talk to me now, it just went up to $3 billion. Triple B's — billion, billion, billion," he said, adding: "That's the only way they going to come at me. I'm already in the building. I don't need them for nothing, as you can tell."
To put that $3 billion amount into perspective, the lifetime deal LeBron James signed with Nike last year is reportedly worth $1 billion.
Later on in the interview, Ball had a tense exchange with Fox Sports reporter Kristine Leahy in which Leahy argued that if Big Baller Brand wants to be successful, the company has to market its products to women. Ball responded by saying, "Yeah, if you have a women's company. … We're talking about Big Baller Brand."
