Lonzo Ball opened up about his relationship with his dad, LaVar, reassuring that they still love each other even after his father said the Pelicans guard was "damaged goods."
Ball explained that the conversation captured for their "Ball in the Family" show on Facebook was just a disagreement, and he didn't take it too personally. In that episode, LaVar suggested the reason the Big Baller Brand tanked was because of Lonzo's performance on the court.
"That was the most popular scene, it was everywhere," Lonzo said jokingly on ESPN's "The Woj Pod." "That's part of life. I'm growing up. He has his ways, I have mine. We just got into it. That's what fathers and sons do as time goes on. At the end of the day, it's always love at the end. I know he loves me, I love him. We're just not always going to agree on everything. That's all it was."
Lonzo was a big part of Big Baller Brand's launch in 2016 and wore the company's shoes to start his NBA career. He recently admitted that the "ZO2s" he played in with the Lakers weren't ready and it looked like his shoes had "exploded" after each game. He had to swap out the sneakers each quarter, but he insists he doesn't have any regrets about wearing them.
"We were trying to build a brand," Lonzo said. "I had to wear them. But there was no way we could play in the shoes I had in summer league. There was no way they would make it to the NBA court. I'm grateful we got to link up with Brandblack for getting me a better shoe. ... I played in Kobes my whole life, then switching it up at the last stage, it was different for me. But I don't make excuses. I don't regret anything I did."
Lonzo has since had a public falling out with the company. He cut ties earlier this year after alleging that company co-founder Alan Foster "used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself," according to ESPN. Lonzo also covered up his Big Baller Brand tattoo with a pair of dice.
One change he has made since the falling out was hiring CAA to represent him as he starts the next chapter of his basketball career with the Pelicans. The move takes some of the control away from his father.
"What makes it easier is I'm controlling everything now," he said. "You really can't tell me what to do. It's my life, my career. I'm making all the decisions now. I chose to go to CAA. I think me becoming my own man is going to make it easier, honestly."