After missing nearly three years with knee injuries, Lonzo Ball has made a return to the court.
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In view of his trouble staying healthy, the former Chino Hills standout has spoken out that it may have been because of his shoes.
For those who don't know, Lonzo Ball's father, Lavar, started a company called 'Big Baller Brand,' and his son's Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo were to be the representatives of BBB.
"We're not competing with Nike and Adidas and Under Armour... we're above them." — @Lavarbigballer on Lonzo's new $495 shoe pic.twitter.com/Aou89gfwXm
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) May 8, 2017
Lonzo has come out and said, he was sort of forced to wear the family brand.
"I was told that nobody wanted to partner with me, so my dad was like, 'Just rock the brand.' And I was like, 'All right.'"
EXCLUSIVE: Lonzo Ball’s signature sneaker has arrived.
Independently made by Big Baller Brand.
Meet the ZO2: https://t.co/sst8h7jfal pic.twitter.com/CGhtGbgKPq
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 4, 2017
However, the quality of the shoe, that first retailed for $500, may have not been up to the standards that is required for an NBA player.
“They were like kickball shoes. I wasn’t really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them.”
– Lonzo Ball, on his Big Baller Brand basketball shoes
(Via @espn ) pic.twitter.com/AsEAGo4xow
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 5, 2024
In a recent interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the 27-year-old spoke on having to wear the ZO2's during his 2017 Summer League debut, "They were like kickball shoes."
He expounded on this by insinuating the shoes could have led to him getting hurt.
"I think it's a possibility for sure, to be honest with you," Ball said. "I wasn't really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them."
With this in mind, back a few years ago, Lonzo appeared on the LightHarted podcast with former teammate Josh Hart, where he also seemingly exposed the BBB ZO2 shoes.
NBA player Lonzo Ball who went viral for turning down Nike, Adidas & other shoe deals to start Big Baller Brand with his Dad Lavar Ball said the Z02’s that they sold for $495 was not ready and would rip every quarter so he had to change shoes 4-5 times a game. pic.twitter.com/qA84LU9XoA
— Black Millionaires ® (@Blackmillions_) May 29, 2023
"No one knows the real story about them shoes though. Them ZO2s I was playing in, they was not ready. No one knows this, but D-Mo (Ball's manager) had a backpack, and he had an extra like four pairs of shoes in there because I had to switch them every quarter, because they would just rip."
The Sports World is Forever Changed. Introducing Lonzo's 1st Signature Shoe: The ZO2 Prime. pic.twitter.com/5JN1OLxlZS
— Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) May 4, 2017
That is, fast forward to after 1,000 days missed on the court due to injuries, Ball is now saying it could have been a contributing factor in his unprecedented career-threatening knee problems.
These BBB shoes really ended Lonzo Ball career smh. pic.twitter.com/ZnEOC9eQVj
— Sad Lakers fan (@oprahsideclark) June 23, 2023
Upon his return, Lonzo has appeared in six games this season, averaging 4.5 points (38.5% FG), to go with 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 16.2 minutes per game.
LONZO BALL IS FINALLY BACK AFTER 2 YEARS 😭
THEN HITS HIS 1ST SHOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zCxUiJZGOZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 17, 2024
Related: LaVar Ball's Big Baller Brand Just Took Another Massive Leap To Relevancy
