Whether you love LaVar Ball or hate him, you can’t deny the fact that he’s increased his son Lonzo’s stock tremendously since the beginning to last college basketball season. Would he still have been in the conversation for the #1 pick? Of course he would have. However, there’s no question LaVar’s big mouth has provided Lonzo with a ton more (free) exposure then he would’ve received otherwise. When is the last time you saw a Markelle Fultz segment on national television? Or a De’Aaron Fox viral video?
That’s not to say those players couldn’t be just as good, or better than Ball; it’s to say that although boisterous, LaVar has turned his ‘Big Baller Brand’ empire into a potential cash cow, only now depending on how Lonzo performs once he’s drafted.
It should come as no surprise to know that everything LaVar says & does is pre-calculated, from the proclamation that his son will play for his hometown Lakers, to the almost $500 price point of Lonzo’s debut sneaker.
The over-the-top methods the Ball family uses were mastered by another Los Angeles area family we have all come to know…the Kardashians.
Via ESPN:
Just wait for the reaction once he starts talking about the documentary and commercials he says his Big Baller Media group is producing, or the sports agency, the Ball Sports Group, that represents Lonzo.
It’s straight out of the Kardashian playbook, authored by momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner, who recognized early on that no matter how outrageous celebrities might act, people will pay even more outrageous prices to wear, sniff and watch them.
“When you’re exclusive, that’s when folks are like, ‘I have to have that s—,'” LaVar explains. “People are like, ‘I don’t like that LaVar Ball, but I gotta get that Triple-Bs stuff.'”
LaVar is correct, the American public has an insatiable appetite for exclusivity. Look no further to the exploding sneaker market, where companies are only putting out a set number of special edition sneakers, knowing the value will skyrocket. It’s basic economics. Even at $500 a pair, Lonzo will sell shoes. If he struggles, he’ll sell a lot less than if he has a great rookie campaign; but either way with no middle-man; the Ball family will see a higher profit margin than otherwise.
Kris Jenner saw no boundaries when it came to allowing the American public into her home & family; literally. That decision has been criticized by many, but the family has, & continues to amass generational wealth year after year.
The Ball family is clearly looking to do the same thing.