Lonzo Ball Says His Poorly Made Big Baller Brand Shoes ‘Exploded’ Within Minutes of Playing On-Court

Ella Chochrek

Click here to read the full article.

Lonzo Ball put dad LaVar’s Big Baller Brand on major blast.

In an appearance this week on fellow NBA star Josh Hart’s LightHarted Podcast, Lonzo admitted that the company’s sneakers were poor quality.

More from Footwear News

The 21-year-old began wearing his signature BBB sneakers, the ZO2, in Summer League 2017 — and he said they were so badly made they would break after just 12 minutes (one quarter) of wear. His manager used to bring a backpack full of the kicks to every game for Lonzo to change in between quarters.

“Them ZO2s I was playing in, they was not ready. If you literally have those shoes from those games, they’re exploded,” admitted Lonzo.

“I’m like, ‘Cool, I can get a quarter in, but that’s it.’ We [had to] switch them every quarter. And it’s crazy because right when I’d switch my shoes, and then all of a sudden I got good again,” he continued.

The ZO2 was priced at $495; it debuted in May 2017, before Lonzo ever made an appearance on a professional basketball court.

The former UCLA star’s dissatisfaction with BBB has extended into the legal realm. The baller announced in March that he had severed all ties with the brand’s co-founder, Alan Foster. Lonzo brought a suit against Foster, who allegedly stole $1.5 million from business and personal accounts of Lonzo’s.

Later that month, the point guard covered up his BBB tattoo and sparked rumors of a Nike deal with an Instagram image resembling the Swoosh’s “Dream Crazy” ads. Around the same time, Lonzo’s manager, Darren Moore, shared a video of himself throwing ZO2 sneakers in the garbage — captioning the video “#dumpthemerch.”

Despite dissing the BBB kicks, Lonzo said he regretted removing his tattoo in a recent interview.

“I was just so mad at the time, but like looking back at it, I shouldn’t have covered it up, but I did,” he told Real 92.3 LA.

Big Baller Brand is planning to re-launch this year with a new lifestyle shoe, according to LaVar. Lonzo told Real 92.3 LA he’s “always going to support the brand because it’s my family.”

Want more?

Lonzo Ball Doesn’t Play It Safe on the Red Carpet & More Celebs at ESPY Awards 2019

Lonzo Ball Reveals His Favorite Sneakers to Play In

Should a Major Athletic Brand Sign NBA Star Lonzo Ball? Industry Analysts Weigh In

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.