Big Baller Brand's 2017 Highlight Reel

Say what you will about Big Baller Brand, but they’ve injected much-needed flavour into the year's sneaker chat. When analysts were writing obituaries for the basketball sector and industry giants were stumbling, BBB made it fun to talk about ball shoes.

And more than comic relief, they raised important questions. Is it possible for a start-up style shoe brand to lace a starting five? Can you build hype based on price tags alone? When will LaVar stop running his mouth? Some questions may never be answered.

Customers are only just receiving the ZO2s they ordered in May, but the brand's been busy since then making moves as big as their Balls. What moves, you ask? Well, we've made a list.

‘Who?’ LaVar quipped when ESPN asked if Trump had come to LiAngelo’s aid. ‘Don't tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.’

Naturally, Trump bit the bait hard.

In a classic case of ‘You reach, I teach’, LaVar took advantage of the POTUS’ gusto to put numbers on the board. While on another brand-promoting national television appearance, LaVar revealed he’d sent Trump three pairs of the ZO2s: ‘red, white and blue to show him we’re patriotic.’

Fanning the flames some more, LaVar published a gif depicting himself posterizing Trump with a windmill dunk.

The tweet rounds out a hell of an inaugural year for Big Baller Brand. It shows moxie while stoking some highly clickable controversy. Best of all, it’s fun — a word that basketball sneaker marketing in 2017 seems to have forgotten.