LaVar Ball Discusses Motivation Behind Creating Big Baller Brand

LaVar Ball, the father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, says he created the Big Baller Brand to show the parents of other top prospects that "We don't need the big companies. They need us. And so we should work together."

On Thursday, the elder Ball penned an article for Slam Online about why he's chosen a different route than having Lonzo sign an endorsement deal with one of the mainstream apparel brands.

"Big Baller Brand wants to show the next generation that there's a difference between building wealth and just being rich," he wrote. "This isn't about getting that early money—just another athlete signing a regular endorsement deal. That would have been the easier route. But we've embarked on a mission. We want to go beyond just inspiring athletes. It's about those small business owners that stay up at night plotting their next move and figuring out how to stay afloat."

While he's rubbed some people the wrong way with his over-the-top comments about the greatness of his three basketball-playing sons—LiAngelo and LaMelo will follow in Lonzo's footsteps by playing at UCLA in the coming years—his entrepreneurial spirit has garnered respect.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson were among the athletes to show support following the announcement of Lonzo's debut shoe in May:

Ball said he envisions a future where athletes realize their own image and their athletic gifts are the brand—not the big-name companies who hand out lucrative endorsement deals to marquee players. He thinks having more say in the process is the best long-term approach compared to grabbing the quick cash.

"We just want to inspire people and show them that there's a different lane you can travel in. It's OK to step out and do it another way," he wrote on Slam Online. "Only a select few will do it, but folks will start creating their own brands, like we've done with BBB, and more and more families will begin feeling comfortable with betting on themselves."

One thing's for sure: Nobody in the world of sports has done a better job of generating attention for their family in 2017 than LaVar Ball. He's accepted the role of being a lightning rod, for better or worse, in order to increase the visibility and marketability of his sons.

Whether that's going to pay off over the long haul is now the key question.