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ESPN is reporting that the three major shoe and apparel companies are “moving on” and are not interested in completing a deal to sign Lonzo Ball to an endorsement deal.
Lonzo’s father LaVar Ball told ESPN:
We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal. We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either.
Meanwhile, Nike consultant and former Southern Cal Basketball Coach George Raveling has called LaVar “the worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years.”
With the big three companies out of the mix, LaVar plans to turn to several Chinese brands in hopes of getting the deal he is seeking. Peak, Li-Ning and Anta are the three which ESPN mentions.
The article adds that LaVar doesn’t think current sales numbers should have been on the mind of the big three and quotes him as saying, “When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion, those guys weren't profitable.”
Whether LaVar is a genius or an idiot remains to be seen.
Go Bruins!