National Basketball Association

Nike, Under Armour, Adidas pass on endorsement deal with Lonzo Ball

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

The top three shoe and apparel companies say they will not be pursuing an endorsement deal with former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball.

Nike, Under Armour and Adidas each said they won't be signing the future NBA lottery pick.

"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar Ball told ESPN. "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either."

"Just imagine how rich Tiger (Woods), Kobe (Bryant), Serena (Williams), (Michael) Jordan and LeBron (James) would have been if they dared to do their own thing," LaVar said. "No one owned their own brand before they turned pro. We do and I have three sons so it's that much more valuable."

LaVar Ball has been outspoken about his son's future and endorsement opportunities saying he wanted a package shoe deal for his sons that would be worth $1 billion that would be in conjunction with his Big Baller Brand.

Ball says he has a shoe prototype for Lonzo's first shoe.

"We're not going to sign with a company and then wait around for five or six years for shoe like Paul George had to wait for with Nike," Ball said.

Lonzo Ball averaged 14.6 points, six rebounds and an NCAA–best 7.6 assists per game in his only season at UCLA, leading the Bruins to the Sweet 16 and earning first-team AP All-American honors.

- Scooby Axson