Lakers G Lonzo Ball said he will "probably play" in his Big Baller Brand ZO2 sneakers to start the regular season. In California, Bill Oram writes that would "put to rest the parlor game that first sprung up in Summer League, and continued into his two preseason appearances, when Ball made waves by alternating between his signature Big Baller Brand ZO2s and other companies’ sneakers." Lakers coach Luke Walton said that "despite the fact Ball is coming off a significant ankle sprain, the Lakers have no plans to intervene in his footwear decisions" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/17).
IT'S GOTTA BE THE SHOES: In Oklahoma City, Erik Horne reports Thunder G Russell Westbrook and Jordan Brand yesterday hosted a Why Not? Rally in OKC, which served as a "celebration of all things Jordan and of the Thunder star's signature message." After signing Westbrook to a 10-year extension last month, Jordan Brand "collaborated with the Thunder on how to best serve the community and give a select group access to some exclusive Westbrook merchandise and the All-NBA guard himself" (OKLAHOMAN, 10/17).
AUSSIE RULES: FOOTWEAR NEWS' Peter Verry reports Bucks G Matthew Dellavedova is debuting a new personal logo on his signature shoes from China-based Peak. Dellavedova employed graphic design marketplace 99designs to create his logo and the company "crowdsourced logos from thousands of designers" before choosing one designed by Steve Hai, an Australian. Dellavedova said, "We had a lot great entries, but Steve's really stood out because it included the exact things I wanted to incorporate in my logo." That includes his nickname Delly, his native country of Australia and Maryborough, his hometown. He said the logo will adorn "shoes and clothing right now but will appear on some other things in the future" (FOOTWEARNEWS.com, 10/17).
