The leverage for LaVar Ball’s apparel company runs deeper than the burgeoning popularity of his three sons.
The father of former UCLA basketball star Lonzo Ball and brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo said the success his start-up, Big Baller Brand, has achieved on its own will inspire others to adopt a business model that skirts the traditional endorsement structure.
LaVar Ball doesn’t intend for his sons to sign contracts with the likes of Nike or Adidas, rather he is seeking a partnership with such corporate giants. Ball’s all-important condition is that Big Baller Brand isn’t swallowed by the company, but remains its own brand under the parent company’s umbrella similar to Jordan Brand’s arrangement with Nike.