Big Baller Brand Thread- Lonzo Ball's first sneaker the ZO2! UNDEFEATED NEVA LOSST!!

[evansst]

After months of speculation, Big Baller Brand is officially putting to rest any remaining rumors about the company’s highly anticipated next move. Lonzo Ball will become the first player to have his own independently made signature shoe entering the NBA Draft.

Love it or hate it, this is a historic move that will send shockwaves throughout the basketball community and will leave many wondering if this could become a trend among athletes in the future.

Just a week ago, a report that Big Baller Brand was no longer in negotiations with Nike, adidas and Under Armour surfaced online, but LaVar Ball, Lonzo’s father and the CEO of Big Baller Brand, has made it clear that the company was not interested in a standard endorsement deal, instead seeking co-branding opportunities.

Since negotiations with Nike, adidas and Under Armour had seemingly fallen apart, there was a perception that the BBB team was scrambling for options. But that wasn’t quite the case. BBB tells SLAM that designs and prototypes for Lonzo’s first signature shoe—the ZO2—had been in the works for the past few months. Big Baller Brand was always prepared to go the independent route if conversations with the aforementioned sneaker companies did not lead to a deal.

It’s a bold move—a first of its kind.

BBB is aiming for Lonzo’s signature sneaker to tap into a new market—above the athletic performance kicks from the likes of Nike, Jordan, adidas and Under Armour, but below the high-end designer shoes of Gucci, Prada or Louis Vuitton. The ZO2 Prime comes with a $495 price tag.

There is also a limited ZO2 WET Autographs edition, which will come in a key-locked glass box with a floor mirror, LED lights and an autograph from the Chino Hills prodigy himself. It will cost $995.

Lonzo, a likely top-3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, was the talk of college basketball this past season as a freshman at UCLA. He averaged 14.6 points and an NCAA Div. I-best 7.6 assists per game, drawing comparisons to some of the game’s greatest point guards in the process.

His ZO2 signature sneaker features python microfiber texture, patent leather heel logos and a gel outsole with a hand-painted DeLorean finish.

Today’s product reveal also includes the release of the ZO2 signature slides, which also feature python microfiber texture and Lonzo’s personal logo.

All three products are now available for pre-order at bigballerbrand.com.

Big Baller Brand is still in talks with potential investors, and the company tells SLAM there will be more announcements in the coming weeks. Only time will tell what kind of effect this move will have on the athlete-endorsement business model going forward.


Read more at http://www.slamonline.com/news-rumo...ker-zo2-big-baller-brand/#1PpgA6S8q5TbtU0g.99

source: http://www.slamonline.com/news-rumo...ker-zo2-big-baller-brand/#ASysQWzXFopUmv8E.97

Thoughts?

 

[vc3fan]

all absurdity aside, they are literally having you pay for the production sample of a shoe..... no way they mass produced these.

 

[011781]

"pre-order for a limited time" ....k

Lavar Ball is like a padgent parent you see on tv... completely ignorant and trying to succeed through their children, no matter the cost

worst kind of person

 

[tankdayglo]

Kobe 11s w/ fake boost

 

[2g00d4u]

Copped.

 

[50inchvert]

I might be the only person that wants this to work out in the Ball's favor. Mainly for precedent reasons more than anything. If you plan to build a brand and an empire then OWN it, or at least own as much of it as you possibly can.

The odds might be stacked but usually any idea that goes against the grain is not well received until it actually works.

 

[control are]

Looks like a Carpe Diem cw take down version of the Kobe 11 

 

[tankdayglo]

I might be the only person that wants this to work out in the Ball's favor. Mainly for precedent reasons more than anything. If you plan to build a brand and an empire then OWN it, or at least own as much of it as you possibly can.

The odds might be stacked but usually anything idea that goes against the grain is not well received until it actually works.

I'd be rooting for them if the shoe wasn't a completely lazy ripoff of existing models & all the rest of the BBB merch complete trash.

Also, it's called Big Baller Brand, which is about as corny as you can get.

 

[arstyle27]

$495???? Lololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololplol

 

[GrizzlyAnimal]

 

[freshsteez]

It's kind of cool to see someone attempt something different, but the pricing is ridiculous and the logo is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

 

[jc619er]

View media item 2425728

And the internet wins again.

Props to them if they make it happen but right this is more ballsy than saying you could beat prime MJ one on one.

 

[rainking]

 
I'd be rooting for them if the shoe wasn't a completely lazy ripoff of existing models & all the rest of the BBB merch complete trash.

Also, it's called Big Baller Brand, which is about as corny as you can get.

Yup. A part of me respects what the Balls are attempting to do in principle. But it's impossible for me to root for Lavar Ball to succeed in his ever-more-preposterous nonsense. First of all, this kid hasn't played in one pro game but he's being setup as the greatest point guard of all time. I hope he's ready. Second, the BBB stuff is beyond corny. It reminds me of some briefly trendy brand we might--and only might--have rocked in the early-to-mid 90s for about three seconds. The name is asinine and uncreative, the logo is horrible, and the products look terrible. I liked this Z02 sneaker the first time I bought it in 2010, when it was called the Zoom Kobe VI 

Third, $495? Oh the comedy. They're talking about empowering themselves, empowering the community...and apparently their definition of this means charging 2.5-3-times the price of established brands. You've priced your products out of reach of the very people who comprise most basketball-enthusiastic communities. And you've done it at a time when it is well established that basketball shoes are not selling as well as in the past, which has led established brands with established athletes and products to cut prices. If people aren't buying $200 Kobes, LeBrons and KDs like before, who is going to buy this crap, at $500, endorsed by someone with no credentials yet? 

 

[llerraj]

Marbury had a good point. He said if they sell 1,000 of these, they'll change the game going forward.

They would have moved pairs at a price of $100-150. $495 is a bit much.

 

[jc619er]

Marbury had a good point. He said if they sell 1,000 of these, they'll change the game going forward.

They would have moved pairs at a price of $100-150. $495 is a bit much.

I'd be more impressed if they can get 1,000 of these made.

 

[j2legend]

Yup. A part of me respects what the Balls are attempting to do in principle. But it's impossible for me to root for Lavar Ball to succeed in his ever-more-preposterous nonsense. First of all, this kid hasn't played in one pro game but he's being setup as the greatest point guard of all time. I hope he's ready. Second, the BBB stuff is beyond corny. It reminds me of some briefly trendy brand we might--and only might--have rocked in the early-to-mid 90s for about three seconds. The name is asinine and uncreative, the logo is horrible, and the products look terrible. I liked this Z02 sneaker the first time I bought it in 2010, when it was called the Zoom Kobe VI 
Third, $495? Oh the comedy. They're talking about empowering themselves, empowering the community...and apparently their definition of this means charging 2.5-3-times the price of established brands. You've priced your products out of reach of the very people who comprise most basketball-enthusiastic communities. And you've done it at a time when it is well established that basketball shoes are not selling as well as in the past, which has led established brands with established athletes and products to cut prices. If people aren't buying $200 Kobes, LeBrons and KDs like before, who is going to buy this crap, at $500, endorsed by someone with no credentials yet? 

Repped.

100% agree.

I love how they market the shoes as the next big thing, charging $995 for an autographed pair with certificate of authenticity. As if anyone cares they need proof they got a legit autograph from someone who hasn't even been drafted yet.

These can move, if the price is $90 USD. $495 is BS. From a logistics stand point, I'm guessing the price is so high because these aren't mass produced to keep the cost of materials and production down. Hence also the limited time offer. Selling these for $495 a piece without a wholesale/mass production strategy in an unproven market is foolish. I actually feed sorry for Lonzo lol

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Imagine if no one drafted Lonzo in the first round.

 

[50inchvert]

Marbury had a good point. He said if they sell 1,000 of these, they'll change the game going forward.

They would have moved pairs at a price of $100-150. $495 is a bit much.

And that is really what a lot of this boils down to, someone trying to shake things up in a market wear things are generally done in a routine manner. Rest assured athletes are on the sideline watching this play out and taking notes on how to improve upon branding themselves through their own athletic apparel entities going forward.

 

[super t1ght]

Quote: "
BBB is aiming for Lonzo’s signature sneaker to tap into a new market—above the athletic performance kicks from the likes of Nike, Jordan, adidas and Under Armour, but below the high-end designer shoes of Gucci, Prada or Louis Vuitton. The ZO2 Prime comes with a $495 price tag."




Ok but WHO is their demographic?? NOT HOOPERS. Cats who wear LV and prada, although i know some NTers mess with some or their shoes, generally speaking, arent spending 500 on some wack hoop shoes.

 

[delajsr]

Pretty weird decision to not at least try to make the shoe look premium for what the price is

even these big companies know that bleeding the customer dry takes a little effort in presentation

 

[50inchvert]

Repped.

100% agree.

I love how they market the shoes as the next big thing, charging $995 for an autographed pair with certificate of authenticity. As if anyone cares they need proof they got a legit autograph from someone who hasn't even been drafted yet.

These can move, if the price is $90 USD. $495 is BS. From a logistics stand point, I'm guessing the price is so high because these aren't mass produced to keep the cost of materials and production down. Hence also the limited time offer. Selling these for $495 a piece without a wholesale/mass production strategy in an unproven market is foolish. I actually feed sorry for Lonzo lol

They'd been better off having this sneaker, in multiple colors and a different model here and there, exclusive to Lonzo for his rookie season. If Lonzo's game can do the talking no reason why they would not have been able to garner interest from an investor or 3. Hell maybe even try to work out some exclusive carrier rights with a department store or something sort of like how Marbury did with Steve & Barry's.

 

[rainking]

And that is really what a lot of this boils down to, someone trying to shake things up in a market wear things are generally done in a routine manner. Rest assured athletes are on the sideline watching this play out and taking notes on how to improve upon branding themselves through their own athletic apparel entities going forward.

For sure. That's why I said, I respect what they are trying to do in principle. Regardless of how the shoes and other BBB products look, the idea is, as you said, going to be looked at closely by lots of people. 

I believe it's rubbing so many the wrong way because of Lavar Ball's apparent idiocy. At least, that's why it irritates me LOL. He has already cost his son a lot of money by inspiring Nike et al to say thanks, but no thanks. The flip side of owning your own brand and doing it all yourself is that you have to then be involved in things like marketing, materials procurement and supply-chain management, manufacturing, shipping, distribution, the whole enchilada. Maybe five or 10 years from now, we'll all be hailing Lavar Ball as a pioneering genius because this works out for him and his family. But the main thing right now is, it's all going to be a moot point if Lonzo Ball does not develop--and develop quickly--into an NBA superstar. And either way, pushing overpriced, underwhelming product into the market usually isn't a solid strategy for sustainable success. 

 

[freshsteez]

They're also about 5 years too late to come in trying to sell a premium Basketball sneaker, there is no market for them.  You also can't sell as premium with such a cheap looking logo.

 

[rfx45]

the slides are $220 :x

Gucci slides cost less than that so it doesn't even make sense to say they are below those high-end brands

 

[Platinum State]

I dunno who they expect to buy these shoes for 5 hunna. Why would someone want these shoes is beyond me especially since Lonzo hasnt even stepped on an NBA court.