When it comes to any respective NBA draft class, there is always a budding rivalry between players at the same position. Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, and De’Aaron Fox were all viewed as the top point guards in the 2017 NBA Draft, with competitive trash talk occurring throughout the process.
These guards are often compared to each other, with the media heavily critiquing the matchups between Fultz and Ball, as well as the matchups between Ball and Fox. Many immediately point to Fox’s 38-point performance that eliminated Ball and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA Tournament, as a tipping point in Fox’s favor.
While these prospects will get the chance to get the final word once in the NBA, these young kids never let an opportunity for bragging rights go to waste. Fox sat down for an interview with former NBA player Bryan Scalabrine, in which he took a subtle shot at Ball, the Big Baller Brand and their recently released sneakers:
Scalabrine: By far the best basketball shoes ever made?
Fox: Kobe’s.
Scalabrine: No question. I don’t understand why the rest of the world just doesn’t remake them over and over again…Oh wait, someone is trying.
Fox: No doubt. Someone is. I was just about to say. So we’re on the same page?
Fox’s subtle jab at the Big Baller Brand is nothing new, as many have alluded to the fact that the shoes closely resemble that of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his signature line. That isn’t the first clash between both families, with Fox’s father also stating that his son is better than LaVar’s son, Lonzo.
At the conclusion of the NCAA tournament victory over Ball, Fox admitted to wanting to shut up LaVar Ball. This rivalry will also translate into the NBA, with both Ball and Fox being drafted into the Pacific Division. With Ball going to the Lakers and Fox drafted by the Sacramento Kings, these two guards will continue the competitive jabs at each other well into their NBA careers.
The former Kentucky player also has signed a shoe deal with Nike, adding fuel to the fire compared to the $495 Big Baller Brand sneakers. The Big Baller Brand has received a lot of publicity, whether positive or negative. On the other hand, the Ball family certainly welcomes any free publicity, using it to fuel the fire they have created while isolating themselves.