LaVar Ball's Ridiculous Excuse for Charging More for Baller Brand Sneakers Than Jordans

LaVar Ball says he can charge way more for his new shoes than Michael Jordan could because MJ "ain't Lonzo ball."

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Complex Original

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At some point LaVar Ball's bubble is going to burst. But we're not there yet. So here he is saying something else delusional/entertaining with a completely straight face on national TV.

Ball was on FS1's Undisputed on Monday where he doubled (or tripled?) down with those Michael Jordan/Ball family comparisons. The subject? The polarizing pair of $495 shoes that he recently unveiled.

After co-host Shannon Sharpe admitted that the gaudy price tag has grabbed people's attention, he asked LaVar how he plans on keeping it ("it" being people's attention) despite the fact that his son Lonzo hasn't even played in an NBA game yet.

"He don't have to play in a game, he did more than enough," Ball said. "Look what he did with UCLA. He sold that place out and it hasn't been sold out in 10 years. What you mean he ain't did enough? They got Gucci and Prada, what have they done? At least my son can play."

That alone is kind of a bizarre statement. But he'd top himself, because Sharpe immediately transitioned from that to Michael Jordan.

"Here's the thing, Michael Jordan could not command $100 for a pair of sneakers [as a rookie]," Sharpe said.

"Because he ain't Lonzo Ball, that's why," LaVar responded, to a noticeably incredulous interviewer. After being told to "stop playing," LaVar kept the act going. "I'm gonna tell you again, did [Jordan] have his own brand when he came in? It's a new era, called the Ball Era."

Finally, Sharpe asked the family patriarch what Lonzo is going to do to make his first shoe "symbolic." LaVar, as always, was quick with an answer. "That shoe is symbolic already on the fact that he's coming in on his own brand," he said. "Nobody's ever done that."

While this latest outburst may sound nuts, by LaVar Ball standards, this is almost moderate. Anyway, here's hoping he keeps feeding us storylines.

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