While there have been some estimates that Big Baller Brand "sold 5,000 pairs" of NBA Draft prospect Lonzo Ball's $495 ZO2 sneakers shortly after the launch last Thursday, the total number sold was "actually a fraction of that," according to Matt Halfhill of NICEKICKS.com. Tracking the inventory levels of the footwear items on BigBallerBrand.com on Thursday, there were "quite a few pairs" deducted from the inventory after it went on sale, but it was "nowhere near 5,000 pairs." Meanwhile, the Ball family "received a lot of support on social media from famous athletes," including Seahawks DE Michael Bennett, who "declared he would buy two pairs to support." Former NFLer Chad Johnson also "posted a screenshot of his order" (NICEKICKS.com, 5/5). ESPN's Mike Greenberg said of the shoe reportedly only seeing $150,000 in sales on the first day, "It sounds like less than I would have thought." ESPN's Mike Golic said, "If that figure is anywhere near correct, it is horrifically bad for the first time outing of a shoe from a big brand. ... If Nike or Adidas put out a shoe of a player for a first time and sold $150,000 worth, they’d be mocked. ... LaVar (Ball) is the one putting himself in that category, but he's not.” Golic said of LaVar Ball, "He made major, major marketing mistakes, a lot with his mouth, but then technical mistakes in marketing of this and the way he went about it" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 5/9).
COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS: In DC, Deron Snyder writes critics of LaVar Ball's negotiations with Nike, Adidas and Under Armor believe he "cost his son by refusing a standard arrangement" that would have paid about $10M over five years. But Ball was "insistent on a licensing deal for Big Baller Brand, not a basic endorsement deal." That sort of "entrepreneurial spirit is rare." Ball could "fall flat on his face," and his "fledgling brand could fill discount bins or be popular giveaways in Third World countries." But "give Ball credit for taking a shot" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 5/9).
