Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball made waves during the lead up to the 2017 NBA Draft by declining to sign with an established shoe brand like Nike or Adidas, instead deciding to roll with his family’s own Big Baller Brand, where he immediately received a signature shoe, the ZO2 Prime Remix.
As of right now, Ball is the only NBA player signed with Big Baller Brand, although if his father LaVar has his wish, two others will soon be joining him on the Lakers when Lonzo’s younger brothers LiAngelo And LaMelo are draft eligible.
But after months of Lonzo being the only NBA player to rock his signature shoes in a game, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Crawford became the first player outside the family to show support on the court for the fledging brand when he recently wore a pair of ZO2 Prime Remixes.
He explained why he did so to Jovan Buha of ESPN:
“The support. Supporting them. I think it’s a great movement. [Lavar] is a character, but at the same time, he has a great plan together. So it was just about support really.”
And while Crawford cautioned that he hadn’t had any talks about signing with Big Baller Brand, he said he definitely wouldn’t say no if they offered:
“Of for sure … I look at myself as a big baller.
Crawford isn’t the biggest name, but that also means he likely wouldn’t be that expensive, and Big Baller Brand signing a few more players outside of the Ball family would be an interesting move.
Regardless, it’s worth noting that another player finally wore a Big Baller Brand shoe in a game. It will be fascinating to watch if more follow in Crawford’s lead and make it a movement, or if this is just a one-off publicity grab by a bench guard.