It's only a matter of time before a sneaker brand signs Lonzo Ball, the projected first-round 2017 NBA Draft pick out of UCLA. While he certainly has the talent necessary to get a sneaker contract, his outspoken father, LaVar, might be getting in the way.
His wild claims have earned him another critic: Nike exec George Raveling had harsh words for the elder Ball at the CAA World Congress of Sports conference in California, calling him the "worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years."
Raveling is the director of international basketball at Nike, and has been with the company for decades. Michael Jordan credits Raveling with helping bring him to the brand.
These comments aside, Nike has expressed interest in Lonzo Ball—co-founder Phil Knight confirmed that the Swoosh was interested in signing him. That being said, LaVar probably isn't going to get the billion dollars he's looking for for his sons' sneaker contracts.
