A History of Big Baller Brand: $495 Sneakers, Overseas Arrests, and Lawsuits

A timeline of Big Baller Brand's up-and-down history including LaVar's outbursts, Lonzo's injuries, $495 sneakers, overseas arrests, lawsuits, and more.

LaVar Ball
Getty

Image via Getty/Allen Berezovsky

LaVar Ball

The long and complicated saga of Big Baller Brand continues.

While the company's shuttering has been all but expected for months, things seemed to be set in stone this morning after its website began redirecting to the personal site of co-founder-turned-rival Alan Foster. Despite some speculation that this meant an end to the brand, Big Baller Brand is saying quite the opposite, instead promising to return with a new look in the coming weeks.

Whatever the future may hold, it's been quite a ride so far. Reminisce on the brand's highs and lows with our timeline below.

April 14, 2016: Big Baller Brand Is Founded

Big Baller Brand Crewneck

March 13, 2017: LaVar Ball Asks for $1 Billion Sneaker Deal for Sons

lavar ball

May 4, 2017: Lonzo Ball's $495 ZO2 Sneaker Is Unveiled

Big Baller Brand Zo2

May 6, 2017: Ball Sons Spotted in Air Jordans

Lonzo Lavar Ball Air Jordans Adidas

August 8, 2017: JAY-Z Supports the Brand

Image via Getty

August 31, 2017: The Ball Family Gets a Reality Show

Ball Family

August 31, 2017: LaMelo Ball Gets His Own Sneaker

Big Baller Brand MB1

September 21, 2017: Original ZO2 Is Scrapped, ZO2 Prime Introduced

Big Baller Brand ZO2 Prime

November 7, 2017: LiAngelo Ball Arrested for Shoplifting in China

LiAngelo Ball UCLA

January 8, 2018: Better Business Bureau Calls Out Big Baller Brand

Lonzo Ball Big Baller Brand ZO2 Remix Lakers Purple Gold On Foot

October 17, 2018: Big Baller Brand Drops $200 Sneakers

Big Baller Brand ZO2 19

October 27, 2018: Big Baller Brand Links With Yeezy

Kanye West and Lavar Ball

Around this time last year, LaVar Ball and Big Baller Brand co-founder Alan Foster were spotted during happier times alongside Kanye West. There was speculation that a collaboration could be in the works, but nothing has materialized yet. Months later, West appeared on Ball in the Family and voiced his support for the brand and LaVar's seemingly defunct Junior Basketball Association.

 

January 1, 2019: LiAngelo Ball's First Sneaker Is Released

liangelo ball big baller brand g3 lux patriot

February 6, 2019: Shipments of ZO2.19s Delayed Due to Production Issues

Lonzo Ball with the ZO2.19

March 22, 2019: Lonzo Ball Parts Ways With Big Baller Brand Co-Founder

Alan Foster & LaVar Ball

March 22, 2019: Lakers Investigate Possible Sneaker-Related Injuries

Lonzo Ball Big Baller Brand ZO2 Prime Remix Sho'Time Lakers On Foot

March 25, 2019: Lonzo Ball's Manager Throws Away ZO.2s

Lonzo Ball

The Big Baller Brand unraveling continued with the third headline in as many days. This time, it was due to Lonzo Ball's manager Darren Moore, who took to social media to post a clip of him throwing Lonzo's ZO2.19 sneakers down a garbage chute along with the hashtag "#dumpurmerch."  

Days earlier, Moore spoke with ESPN about Lonzo's fallout with Foster. "Alan Foster was more than a trusted adviser. He was a mentor, a father figure and someone Lonzo and I respected, loved and listened to ... I'm proud of Lonzo for waking up and taking back his power. Together, we will fight for justice," Moore said.

 

March 27, 2019: Lonzo Ball Covers Up His Big Baller Brand Tattoo

Lonzo Ball Big Baller Brand Tattoo

Big Baller Brand's hellacious March continued when Lonzo Ball covered up his own BBB tattoo with a pair of red dice. There was heavy speculation this would precede a move to Nike, though nothing has officially been worked out yet. In October of 2018, reports surfaced the NBA forced Ball to wear tape over the logo, so it's also possible the the cover up was intended to circumvent the league's ruling.

 

September 4, 2019: Lonzo Ball Admits the Original ZO.2s Were Defective

Lonzo Ball Big Baller Brand ZO2 SHO'TIME Lakers Summer League Debut On Foot

In September, we finally learned why the original ZO.2 sneakers were scrapped a year prior and replaced with the ZO.2 Prime. In an episode of the LightHearted Podcast, Lonzo admitted that the shoes were not ready for performance use. "No one knows the real story about them shoes though," Ball said. "Them ZO2s I was playing in, they was not ready. No one knows this, but [Darren Moore, Ball's manager] had a backpack, and he had an extra like four pairs of shoes in there because I had to switch them every quarter, because they would just rip."

 

September 16, 2019: LaVar Ball Calls Lonzo 'Damaged Goods'

Lonzo Ball LaVar Ball Green Room NBA Draft 2017

In what could be nothing more than an attempt to ramp up the drama on Ball in the Family—but is worth mentioning nonetheless—LaVar Ball took a dig at his son's injuries during an episode from last month. While discussing Lonzo's interest in renaming the brand due to its recent struggles, LaVar pulled no punches: "Listen to me, son. When I come up with a name, and then somebody tells me to change it, that's like me telling you to change your name. That's like people saying, 'Change Lonzo's name to Alfonso on the fact that he's been damaged goods for the last two years."

 

October 2, 2019: Alan Foster Countersues LaVar Ball

LaVar Ball and Alan Foster

October 23, 2019: BigBallerBrand.com Redirects to Alan Foster's Site

Lavar Ball