Take it from someone who has been in the business a longtime, NBA legend and China Basketball Association free agent Stephon Marbury doesn’t think LaVar Ball is as crazy as everybody else does.
In Marbury’s opinion, it’s the way Ball is going about conducting his business that is turning people off.
With a change of tact, he says Big Baller Brand could be off the ground and running. Marbury spoke with The Undefeated and made some interesting comments:
“LaVar Ball wants a billion dollars. There is nothing wrong with saying that is what he wants. It’s how he’s said it. If he was able to express why he wanted it and explained it without saying it how he said it, which is his prerogative, he wouldn’t be scaring people. He has three kids who are really good basketball players. He should want to own his own brand. That is the smartest way of doing it. “
Marbury currently sells his Starbury shoe in stores in China, and online in the US for $15.
LaVar has reportedly received little-to-no interest from the major American sneaker giants, Nike, Adidas and Under Armor, and is considering looking to China to get the brand off the ground. Marbury suggested that he would be willing to help get LaVar Ball off the ground, and is willing to introduce him to the movers and shakers in the Chinese market.
With his oldest son Lonzo likely a top five selection in the upcoming NBA draft, LaVar is trying to strike while the iron is hot. His two younger sons are already committed to UCLA and it appears that they’ll be just as impressive on the floor as Lonzo was. Having turned away all of the manufacturers who wanted to sign Lonzo to a more traditional shoe endorsement, Big Baller Brand is rolling the dice on whether it will be able to get off the ground in town.
LaVar Ball is navigating in unknown waters, and with no previous experience in negotiating the terms of endorsement contracts, he is relying purely on fathers intuition to do what is best for his boys. His heart might be in the right place, but if he craps the bed, his sons will pay the price.
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