With each hour that passes, it’s looking more and more like the Big Baller Brand won’t make it through the summer. The question now is: What is the next move for Lonzo Ball?
All signs point to the Lakers guard signing with Nike, but nothing has been made official just yet. In light of the recent speculation, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times caught up with one of the faces of Nike, LeBron James, to talk about Ball possibly signing with Nike.
While James didn’t break any news, he said he’d be happy to have his teammate with Nike:
“Whatever the kid decides to do, whatever brand he comes with next — if it’s with Nike obviously we would welcome him,” James told The Times. “I would definitely welcome him. I love the kid regardless of what shoes he had on. But we shall see.”
James also thought it was worth mentioning that Ball has played some of his best games in Nike sneakers:
He added with a smile: “I mean he plays well when he has on Nikes.”
That’s about as big of a hint James can give without outright saying Ball is in discussions with Nike over a contract.
In the likely event Ball signs a deal with Nike within the coming weeks, he will join James, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart as the Nike athletes on the Lakers’ roster. Rookie Moe Wagner is signed with Nike subsidiary Jordan Brand.
Nothing is official until a pen is put to a contract, but the case for Ball signing with Nike is growing every day. Expect some sort of announcement soon.
