Despite what others may think about the father of the Ball brothers, the man is about his business and his boys. Whether it is his love-to-hate, hate-to-love personality or his outrageous hot takes, #LavarBall is a man with a plan or maybe he’s just really lucky. Whatever the case may be, it’s working!
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From his outlandish antics that kept his son in the spotlight prior to being drafted into the NBA to dropping $500 shoes under his own brand name, Ball has used attention, though mostly negative, to his advantage.
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Most recently, Ball’s public feud with Donald Trump, which has gained widespread recognition, has reportedly led to a financial boost for the Big Baller Brand.
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“This back and forth with Donald Trump has extended the brand awareness outside of just sports,” Apex Marketing Group president Eric Smallwood said, estimating that the brand received $13.2 million (and counting) in free marketing ahead of Thanksgiving.
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“To have that reaction from someone as high up as Trump, it has definitely helped [Ball] reach a larger audience,” Smallwood said of Trump’s Twitter attack on Ball. “People who don’t follow sports are starting to get more awareness of the (Big Baller) brand. He doesn’t seem to be following any sort of marketing playbook. He couldn’t have known Trump would respond to him, but he’s fortunate Trump did.”
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Trump’s attack on Ball led to a CNN interview for the Big Baller Brand CEO, which in turn went viral, prompting the Celebrity-in-Chief to fire back at Mr. Ball, calling him an “ungrateful fool” for refusing to thank him for intervening in LiAngelo’s China arrest.
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Although increased marketing doesn’t necessarily lead to sales, the Big Baller business has already received support from the biggest names in the business, who have reportedly purchased several pairs of its $495 sneakers.
