Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball did not go the traditional way when deciding what shoe company he wanted to sign with after being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick.
Despite Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, among others, all showing interest, Lonzo decided to create his own brand. Along with his father LaVar and brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo, Lonzo created the Big Baller Brand, which sells apparel and shoes.
Despite not playing in a single NBA game, Lonzo already has his first signature shoe, the ZO2s, which Lonzo was recently sporting at an NBA rookie photoshoot, via Darren Rovell of ESPN:
Lonzo Ball wearing Big Baller Brand at the NBA rookie photo shoot for card company Panini today. pic.twitter.com/C781eKv59o
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 11, 2017
This was followed by NBA 2K making a pretty big announcement on Friday, as they took to Twitter to announce that Lonzo will be wearing his Big Baller Brand shoes in the new NBA 2K18:
We're excited to announce the @bigballerbrand shoes will debut in #NBA2K18 & be laced up on @ZO2_ at NBA Season Tip-Off! pic.twitter.com/X4NcMS1aNH
— NBA 2K 2K18 (@NBA2K) August 11, 2017
The ZO2s being in the video game is a first, as NBA 2K usually just features the bigger brand shoes in the game. Big Baller Brand began pre-selling the shoes back in May, with the shipping expected to take place in November.
The price for the shoes is a little steep, as the ZO2 Primes are selling for $495, or $695 for size 14 and above. They are then selling the ZO2 Wet “The Autograph” addition for $995 and $1,195. The final product they have put out are the ZO2 Signature Slides, sandals that are being sold for $220 on the Big Baller Brand’s website.
Lonzo was seen wearing the shoes in the first two games of the Las Vegas Summer League, although he then switched to big brands for the remainder of the tournament to create a bidding war.
