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| Astrid Stawiarz/Andy Lyons, Getty Images (2) |
When it comes to money and the NCAA league, there’s already a mass debate as to whether the players should be paid for their efforts, similar to NBA players. The argument is that — though they aren’t technically professional players — the surrounding pressures and the money made off of them are just as high.
Well, one player — UCLA player Lonzo Ball — has decided to create his own empire with Big Baller Band. Further, the popular point guard released a signature shoe (the ZO2) through the brand costing nearly $500! Of course, this lead to plenty criticizing a college player asking such a hefty price for a non-pro shoe.
“All Eyez” rapper The Game; however, feels differently. Not only has he decided to invest nearly $2K into Ball’s business for his 13-year-old son and his friends, but he had some choice words for the critics, essentially calling them hypocrites. has supportively taken to the steep price with his wallet and some choice words for the sneakerheads that he’s dubbed hypocritical for snubbing the UCLA player.
In an Instagram post, he explains that since he spends so much on Nike, Jordan and other lead-brand sneakers, he believes he owes the growing brands a fair chance, as well. The Game went on to check critics and accused them of hypocrisy since they also never hesitate to shell out lots of money for more established brands.
“Funny how n**gas will go and buy Gucci flops for $300-$400 with no complaints, but then complain [and] b**ch when a kid [and] his family is making a name for themselves [and] trying to grow their own brand,” he stated. “I also think about all these $500 duplicated Jordan n**gas out here going broke [and] dying over just trying to keep up with Jones’s.”
While The Game paid homage to the legacy of Michael Jordan, he went on to explain that Jordan has made a cash-killing off of rebranding and reselling his retro tennis shoes and overcharging parents for his elite youth sports camps.
“MJ is MJ, but today I chose to support [Lonzo and] his family…. f**k how anybody feel about it… keep making memes if that’s all [your] broke hatin’ a** can do… maybe sometimes, people need to delete the meme app off they phone & start creating their own legacy instead of picking apart someone else’s.”
The rapper then brought it all home and put his own money where his mouth is by announcing that he’d be making 10 more purchases of the sneaker to gift 10 kids whose parents aren’t able to afford them via his Robin Hood Project charity.
Check out The Game’s Instagram rant below!
