'They're Exploded, Bro': Lonzo Ball Says He Had To Change Big Baller Brand Shoes Every Quarter During Lakers Games
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball says the now-defunct shoe line formerly run by his outspoken father wasn't exactly as advertised.
During a segment on a podcast hosted by former Lakers teammate Josh Hart, Ball revealed the ZO2 Prime - the signature shoe of the Big Baller Brand that came with a hefty $495 price tag - would rip apart during games.
Ball said his manager would carry four extra pairs of Z02 shoes in a backpack because Ball would have to switch them out every quarter.
"No one knows the real story about them shoes. Them ZO2s I was playing in? They was not ready," said Ball. "If you literally have those shoes from those games, they're exploded, bro."
The New Orleans Pelicans point guard also implied the shoe quality had a direct impact on his performance on the court.
"It's crazy, right when I switched my shoes, all of a sudden magically I got good again," Ball added.
When Ball's father LaVar first began promoting the ZO2 Prime in 2017, the shoe's website claimed it was "meticulously developed at every stage by Lonzo Ball."
He also went after the shoe's critics on social media, saying, "If you can't afford the ZO2'S, you're NOT a BIG BALLER!"
The shoes are still up on Big Baller Brand's social media channels, but the online store appears to have been shuttered.
Visitors to BigBallerBrand.com are now greeted with a message reading: "THANK YOU FOR VISITING BIG BALLER BRAND. OUR SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WE WILL BE BACK SOON. THANK YOU."
