From Riches To Rags: The Rise and Fall of Big Baller Brand
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We all wanted it to work out.
In 2015, a family out of Chino Hills, California took the sports world by storm. Led by a brash patriarch, the Ball quintet became household names. The family consisted of three boys (Lonzo, LiAngelo, LaMelo) all possessing terrific skills on the court. However, it was their father — LaVar — who commanded the room as the effervescent yet controversial personality.
As the Ball family continued to garner notoriety across the globe, scrutiny followed. The plan was to create a family-run shoe company. While the apparel quickly drew attention, all of it came crashing down rather abruptly due to the alleged sketch dealings of a close confidant.
Here is the rise and fall of Big Baller Brand.
Big Baller Beginnings
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LaVar Ball was born and raised in Los Angeles. A star athlete growing up, LaVar excelled both as a football and basketball player. He attended Washington State University as a basketball recruit, and played under famed coach Kelvin Sampson. However, his time at WSU was short-lived…
A Match Made in Basketball Heaven
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A lack of playing time led LaVar to transfer to Cal State Los Angeles. He’d then join three of his brothers in the starting lineup. Additionally, he’d meet the love of his life — a female basketball player named Tina. LaVar’s plan was always to marry an athlete. His wish quickly turned to reality.
The Brood of Balls
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Upon marrying Tina, LaVar boasted that the couple would one day have three sons — ideally all of them star athletes. As fate would have it, Tina and LaVar brought three sons into the world: Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo.
LaVar’s Basketball Boot Camp
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Under LaVar’s tutelage, all three boys developed into fantastic basketball players. The family was known for playing the game with tons of energy and pace. All three brothers featured together at Chino Hills High School. Unsurprisingly, this led to a ton of success on the hardwood.
One of UCLA’s Finest
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Chino Hills became a California state champion. In the process, Lonzo became one of the country’s best high school players. He earned a scholarship to UCLA, where he eventually shined as an elite hooper. As this was occurring, LaVar’s presence in the media became more and more pronounced.
A New Addition to Upper Management
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Roughly two weeks after Lonzo declared for the NBA Draft, LaVar announced the debut of Big Baller Brand (also known as BBB). This apparel company was launched primarily by LaVar as a means to showcase the talents of his three children. In the process, a man named Alan Foster became involved.
Doing Your Own Thing
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Lonzo bypassed on millions of dollars from more established brands (Nike, Adidas, Under Armour) in favor of being the face of the company. A line of shoes and clothing were created with Lonzo in mind. Even more interesting, a pair of these shoes cost approximately $495. Those within the media started to become skeptical of BBB…
Ownership Stakes
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LaVar and Tina each owned portions of the company. Additionally, Lonzo had a large stake in BBB. LaVar’s co-founder — Alan — was the business manager (in addition to owning 16.3 percent of BBB). This would prove to be a potentially unwise decision when looking into the future health of the company.
“Uh…where’d my money go?”
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In March of 2019, reports surfaced over Lonzo not being able to account for roughly $1.5 million. These funds stemmed from both his personal and business accounts. When speaking with a prominent media outlet, Lonzo believed he knew the culprit behind the lost funds…
Laying Down The Hammer
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In speaking with ESPN, Lonzo offered this strong quote in regards to the story about his lost finances:
“[Alan] used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself. As a result, I have decided to sever all ties with Alan, effective immediately.”
Falling Asleep on Digital Housekeeping
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According to emails and other documents obtained by ESPN, one of Lonzo’s advisers had emailed LaVar this past October over the disappearance of the funds (which were needed to complete taxes for both Lonzo and the business). However, LaVar reportedly didn’t look into these emails until this March (nearly six months later).
Time to Break Away
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In 2002, Alan reportedly served seven years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of money laundering and one count of mail fraud. As told to ESPN, Lonzo was unaware of Alan’s past history. This revelation has caused Lonzo to do something that seemed unthinkable just months prior.
Becoming His Own Man
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Lonzo ‘unfollowed’ Big Baller Brand on both Instagram and Twitter. Even more fascinating, Lonzo took down all mentions/pictures of anything having to do with BBB. Pictures of him and his father were also scrubbed from his social media accounts. His new thumbnail picture on Twitter features him as a child with a Nike t-shirt on. With rumors swirling about a potential move to Nike, LeBron James only fueled the fire even more…
Lessons From LeBron
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Past history dictated that LaVar and LeBron didn’t always see eye to eye. It’s not a surprise to see LeBron offer this take on his Lakers teammate — particularly since he’s a staunch representative of Nike:
“I love the fact that he’s taking control of his (stuff). I mean, he’s, that’s what’s really, really dope to me. Once I saw that story I just seen a kid turning into a man. ‘This is my career and I’m taking this. I done had enough with — whatever. I done had enough. Whatever. If I’m not going to be successful, I’m not going to be successful on my terms.’ I saw a lot of that. We’ll see. I’m more proud of him because I like the fact that he’s taking command of his (stuff).”
Broke Baller Brand
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The news of Lonzo’s potential departure from BBB has spread like wildfire across many media platforms. Pundits on all major sports networks have spoken about the situation in great detail. Suffice it to say, but it’s certainly a story to watch going forward.
What’s Next?
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The story of Lonzo Ball, LaVar Ball, and Big Baller Brand is a cautionary tale. While we don’t yet have all of the details emanating from this ever-evolving situation, we hope that the family can stay united as they potentially transition away from the apparel business and into more of a supportive role.
