He wants 3 Billion now
LaVar Ball wants $3B for shoe deal, sees no need to market to women
ESPN.com news services
LaVar Ball said Wednesday that if Nike, Under Armour or Adidas want to make a deal with his Big Baller Brand now, the asking price is $3 billion and that he sees no need to market his products to women.
In
a wide-ranging interview with FS1's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," LaVar Ball reiterated that he only wants his son,
Lonzo Ball, to play for the
Los Angeles Lakers and revealed he's sold 400 to 500 pairs of $495 ZO2 shoes since its launch two weeks ago.
Ball was asked about dealing with the big shoe companies and said they will regret not making a deal with him after his son is picked by the Lakers.
“
If they want to talk to me now, it just went up to $3 billion. Triple Bs, billion, billion, billion.
”- LaVar Ball, on asking price of big shoe companies if they want to make a deal
"Now that Lonzo's headed to Los Angeles, what they should have done is give me a billion dollars and let me be on my way," he said.
Told that number was unrealistic, Ball replied: "unrealistic to you."
"Now you know ... if they want to talk to me now, it just went up to $3 billion. Triple Bs, billion, billion, billion," he said, adding: "That's the only way they going to come at me. I'm already in the building. I don't need them for nothing, as you can tell."
A source confirmed to ESPN's Darren Rovell that Ball's asking price with the big shoe companies was indeed $1 billion.
Fox Sports reporter Kristine Leahy argued that for Big Baller Brand to be appealing to the big shoe companies he would have to market his products to women. Ball scoffed at the idea.
"Yeah, if you have a women's company. ... We're talking about Big Baller Brand," he said.
Ball reiterated Wednesday that his son will only work out for the Lakers and that the team will make the playoffs if it selects Lonzo with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft.
LaVar Ball explained why he doesn't believe the
Boston Celtics, who hold the No. 1 overall pick, would be a fit for his son.
"If Lonzo goes to Boston, he turns into a 2. ... Lonzo's always going to be a point guard. He can play any position but his true position is point guard and Boston has so many guards, you don't need that guy," he said.
LaVar Ball did say however, that if the Celtics pick his son and he wants to play in Boston he won't stand in the way.
"Here's the thing: I prefer Zo to go to the Lakers, but if Boston were to choose him and Lonzo wants to play basketball, then guess what, he doesn't care where he goes," he said.
Whichever team drafts Lonzo Ball, one thing is clear: LaVar Ball won't be going away.
"Dad is never going to go away. I'm always going to be his dad. Just like people say, I need to fall back. I don't walk behind my son, I walk on the side of him, so I'm always going to be on the side," he said.
