Lonzo Ball likely will earn more money than most people make in their lives by being one of the top picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, but he could have earned even more cash … until his father stepped in.
Ball, who played point guard for UCLA last season, could have had a $10 million shoe deal from either Nike, Under Armour or Adidas, but his father, the always brash LaVar Ball, ended that opportunity, ESPN’s Darren Rovell recently reported during an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show.”
Instead, the Balls appear to be going all-in on their Big Baller Brand.
“It’s strange to me that LaVar didn’t at least fold some of his cards and go back to the shoe companies in earnest,” Rovell said, as transcribed by 24/7 Sports. “After the Lakers thing goes down and the perfect scenario is going to unfold, the new deal, Nike (to) five years and $20 million. But what does LaVar Ball do? Instead of saying he now wants $1 billion, he now wants $3 billion.
“I guess the story becomes more intriguing in that if he goes to the Lakers, he could’ve doubled his deal and decided to pass. And I think that’s why this story is something people want to read. It makes the story a lot more intriguing in that he’s continuing to go along with the fact he believes this is going to be a real brand.”
A brand that appears hell-bent on going to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2 overall.
Thumbnail photo via Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports Images
