LaVar and LeMelo Ball Dragged to Federal Court by Former Business Partner Over $100 Million Sneaker Deal
Nov. 9 2023, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
The co-founder of Big Baller Brand has filed a bombshell federal trademark infringement lawsuit against NBA standout LaMelo Ball and his parents, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
A raging Gregory Alan Foster claims LeMelo and his parents, LaVar and Tina Ball inked a $100 million sneaker deal with Puma blatantly using a trademark that closely resembles the one he created when he was working with the now famous basketball clan.
Foster, who was once good pals with LaVar, claims he was expelled from the family business in 2019 during a dispute over the distribution of the cash generated by the family brand — which now has an estimated worth of $200 million.
LaVar and Tina Ball were named in a federal lawsuit filed by their former business partner.
Foster accused the Ball clan of various charges that include fraud, unfair business practices, breach of written contract, and unjust enrichment in a searing 54-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on November 6, 2023.
“The facts outlined below will show a very coordinated effort on behalf of the Defendants to do one thing—prevent Alan from having any interest in the family companies of the Ball Family and the money they generate,” the lawsuit stated.
“The Ball family members having carried out a very public character assassination campaign against Alan, the facts will show that the Defendants freely raided the companies and intellectual property that belonged to Alan. Alan has a 33% ownership interest in Ball Sports Group, Inc., and all Ball Family Companies.”
Alan Foster claims the Ball family violated trademark laws by rebranding their famous Big Baller Brand name.
Foster also named the giant sneaker company Puma in the lawsuit after it penned a 2020 deal with LeMelo, a top-scoring point guard for the Charlotte Hornets under the brand name “MB.01.”
“Puma’s infringing products include LaMelo’s ‘new signature' shoe which they refer to as the ‘MB.01,’ a name that is, for all intents and purposes, identical to the LaMelo “MB1” signature shoe that Alan and BBB LLC earlier created, marketed, sold, and protected via the LaMelo Trademarks,” the lawsuit charged.
Once the family’s Big Baller Brand LLC was dissolved, LaVar and Tina formed a new corporation named Big Baller Brand Inc. which Foster claimed was another trademark infringement, according to court documents.
Foster claims he is still entitled to a cut in the family business worth an estimated $200 million.
“Yet, despite Alan’s documented ownership rights in these companies and intellectual property, BBB, Inc., LaVar, and Tina have blocked Alan from carrying out his duties as director and member/manager, have prevented him from receiving any profits or proceeds from the businesses, and have even gone so far to steal his intellectual property for their own exclusive use and financial gain,” the court documents stated.
Adding to the long-running feud is a lawsuit filed by Chicago Bull’s point guard Lonzo Ball filed against Foster in Los Angeles alleging that he siphoned $1.5 million from the family business.
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The lawsuit also notes that the Ball family was unaware that Foster spent several years in prison in 2002 for participating in a Ponzi scheme that siphoned $4 million for dozens of investors, according to Los Angeles Times.
Foster is also the target of an FBI investigation into the money he swiped from the Ball family business, according to the Times.
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LaMelo Ball was also named in the lawsuit after he inked a $100 million deal with Puma sneakers.
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