Big Baller Brand and LaVar Ball keep rolling on Friday, with the Ball patriarch snagging a radio spot on ESPN’s Dan Le Batard Show to promote his son’s collection of very expensive footwear.
Gregarious as usual, Ball was bombastic in answering Le Batard and Stugoz’s questions about the ZO2 Prime, Lonzo Ball‘s first signature shoe the family’s Big Baller Brand revealed to the world on Thursday. Ball took shots at other shoe companies and defended the price of the $495 shoes and $220 slides while revealing that Lonzo himself came up with the shoe’s design.
Nobody’s ever came in the game with they own brand. My son got his own slider and his own shoe. Before he even touched the floor as a rookie.
And guess what, he designed all of it. Nike and Adidas ain’t gonna let nobody at 19 years old design nothing. They got their own designers.
Ball had the Le Batard studio laughing throughout, enthusiastically answering questions while shooting down any notion that the footwear his company is selling simply costs too much. Le Batard asked why the shoe cost so much, and LaVar was off and running.
“I figured that’s what the shoe is worth,” Ball said. “I like the way it’s styled. And see, when you’re your own owner you can come up with any price you want.”
Nike and Adidas and Under Armor—they battling below me. Let them battle it out in Foot Locker. I’m better than them. I’m a step above. We are a premium shoe.
Those pricey slides were another point of contention during the interview, with Ball defending the flip flops by pointing out other luxury brands selling shoes at similar prices. Ball says buying a Big Baller Brand product—even just a sandal—is a “symbolic” purchase.
Why is that excessive? Prada and Gucci selling theirs for what they want. My sandal looks better than that. It feels better.
I feel my sandal is worth 220 dollars. Now you have to pay, this right here is symbolic. And that comes with a price.
Ball said he’s making the shoes himself when asked who would manufacture them. “LaVar—you’re not in the garage making sneakers,” Le Batard said. Ball kept going in on the big shoe brands that snubbed him.
“I’m making my sneakers the same way Michael Jordan and Nike are making their sneakers,” he said.
And no, there are no plans to partner with Ball State. These shoes, after all, are a premium experience.
It’s official: LaVar Ball is sports <a href=”https://uproxx.com/tag/fyre-festival/” target=”_blank”>Fyre Festival</a>.
