Aside from a price tag only Gucci could appreciate, Lonzo Ball’s basketball shoe venture is something of a saintly enterprise.
The former UCLA point guard is the first player in the modern era to turn down significant endorsement dollars from major shoe companies — likely something in the range of $10 million over five years — to instead represent a startup.
The risks are apparent. The perks are quickly revealing themselves. For example, Big Baller Brand already delivered Ball something Nike has bestowed on just 21 basketball players in its 44 years of existence — a signature shoe.