Lonzo Ball‘s returned to the NBA court in October after missing more than 1,000 days and undergoing several knee surgeries including two transplants. And in a ESPN story profiling his recovery, Ball offered up the possibility that Big Baller Brand sneakers may have been the reason for knee issues plaguing his career.
“I think it’s a possibility for sure, to be honest with you,” Ball said of the possibility of BBB shoes causing his first meniscus tear as a rookie. “I wasn’t really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them.”
Ball first began playing in Big Baller Brand, the company started by his father LaVar Ball, in the 2017 NBA Summer League. “They were like kickball shoes,” the elder Ball brother said of the early pairs, which he’d ditch for the remainder of the competition. And even after Big Baller Brand secured a deal for Skechers to manufacture its sneakers, Ball wasn’t happy with those shoes he’d wear for his rookie season.
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Upon entering the NBA, Ball revealed he wanted to wear Adidas but was manipulated into believing none of the major shoe brands were interested in securing his services — an unlikely prospect given he was the no. 2 overall draft pick.
Ball’s first sneaker, the BBB Z02, sold for $495 and was widely criticized at the onset for lacking in quality. He’d sever ties with the company, of which he was a majority owner, in 2019 because of concerns with co-founder Alan Foster’s criminal past and allegations of embezzlements. A month later the brand shuttered before relaunching in 2020.
LaMelo Ball, the youngest of the Ball brothers, signed with Puma during his rookie year and his seen his signature line, now up to four models, become one of the more popular in the league. His father, however, criticized the shoes as “raggedy” and suggested they caused his son’s recurring ankle injuries in comments that could read easily as projecting.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
