LaVar Ball is widely criticized for being outspoken and brash, and looked at as someone who could hurt his son Lonzo’s NBA draft stock. His comments today on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” did little to prove his detractors wrong.
During his appearance on the Fox Sports program, the elder Ball got into an uncomfortable discussion with the show’s co-host Kristine Leahy. She addressed the need for his Big Baller Brand imprint to win women over in order to be successful.
“I just said if you want to work with Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, to maybe have something that appeals to women,” she explained.
Rather than reply to Leahy’s comment, Ball was dismissive of her.
“Stay in your lane,” he said while pointing in her direction, but not looking at her. “I don’t even worry about her over there. She scares me to death.” Later in the interview, Ball stated he isn’t a friend of Leahy and referred to her as a “hater.”
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Leahy then doubled-down on her suggestion that appealing to women would help his footwear and apparel label, and Ball offered an explanation as to why she is incorrect.
“[That’s] if you have a women’s company,” he said. “[But] we’re talking about Big Baller Brand.”
Leahy wasn’t the only target of Ball during his “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” appearance. Jason Whitlock, who alongside Cowherd hosts the Fox Sports show “Speak for Yourself,” was also in Ball’s crosshairs.
“I don’t think he could comment on anything but snacks,” Ball said.
Whitlock has publicly criticized Ball for how his dominating personality could be an issue for his son, Lonzo, who is about to embark on a professional basketball career.
“LaVar Ball looks like a problem, quacks like a problem, smells like a problem. He’s going to be a problem,” Whitlock said on the May 3 episode of “Speak for Yourself.”
Ball spoke exclusively with Footwear News on May 2 about his son’s signature shoe under the Big Baller Brand imprint. In the interview, Ball explained that players entering the league in the future will follow his model and create their own shoes without the help of a major brand.
“Shoe companies are looking for guys that will represent their brand. Just imagine if everyone says, ‘I’m not doing this.’ Now what are they left with?” he explained. “They don’t want this ripple effect where folks say, ‘I don’t want an endorsement deal,’ or when they get one they say straight off the bat, ‘Where’s my signature shoe?’ You’ve got to go years before you get a signature shoe. Why? They give you a signature shoe when they feel like it.”
Big Baller Brand on May 4 unveiled the signature shoe for Lonzo, dubbed the Zo2: Prime, which comes with a $495 price tag.
