For those familiar with the recent news of the basketball world, the name Lonzo Ball is surely one that brings many things to mind. The first should be his massive potential as a rising star in the basketball world, as he is a projected top-3 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Other names that come to mind are LaVar, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball, his father and two younger brothers, respectively. LaVar has made several splashes in the news as well, including claiming that he could beat Michael Jordan in a game of one on one. On top of all this, the family company, Big Baller Brand, recently released their newest line of shoes, after being unable to find a sneaker company willing to sign the three brothers on. This was mostly due to LaVar’s outrageous demand of a 1-billion dollar contract for his boys, turned down by Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, prompting them to go solo.

Lonzo Ball’s signature shoes dropped last week, the ZO2 Prime releasing at a shocking $495 price tag. There is also a limited ZO2 WET Autographs edition, which will come in a key-locked glass box with a floor mirror, LED lights and an autograph from the Chino Hills prodigy himself, all for just $995. His ZO2 signature sneaker features python microfiber texture, patent leather heel logos and a gel outsole with a hand-painted “DeLorean finish.” The product reveal also included the release of the ZO2 signature slides, which also feature python microfiber texture and Lonzo’s personal logo. All three products and many more shirts, sweatshirts, and other Big Baller Brand apparel are now available for pre-order at bigballerbrand.com

The dropping of the shoes also created much controversy, especially with a particularly insensitive tweet from LaVar Ball claiming “Big Baller’s loose! If you can’t afford the ZO2’S, you’re NOT a Big Baller!” Many celebrities expressed their discontent with this comment, saying that LaVar eliminated over 90% of potential buyers, while hurting many more. In their eyes, LaVar basically said that those who are too poor to afford his products have no future in the sport, and no chance at making it to a higher level. Other celebrities have responded positively to his comments, including past NFL star Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) and current star Michael Bennett publicly announcing their purchases of the ZO2’s and many other products. For now, all the public can do is sit back and watch, to see if the Big Baller Brand shoe endeavor is a success, or bottoms out.