Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball must now face a lawsuit brought against him by former friend and business partner Alan Foster.
Last year, Foster filed the lawsuit against the Ball family as well as Puma for alleged trademark infringement. A federal court has recently denied Ball’s motion to dismiss the case.
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The lawsuit is centered around Ball’s first signature shoe, the MB1 and the profits that the shoe made. Foster claims to be entitled to a portion of the profits. He also claims that he previously filed a trademark for the term “MB1” and that Ball wrongly used the term as the title of his shoe with Puma.
“Given the fame that both Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball have obtained through their NBA careers and the worldwide appeal of Big Baller Brand, gained largely due to Alan’s marketing efforts and business acumen, the commercial value of the LaMelo Trademarks, Lonzo Ball Trademark, and BBB Trademark are estimated to far exceed $200 million,” the lawsuit states, per WBTV-3.
This is not the first legal dispute between Foster and the Ball family. Lonzo Ball sued Foster for $2 million in 2019 for conspiring “to embezzle millions of dollars and then divert those funds for his personal use, including to acquire assets in Ethiopia,” according to ESPN.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
