Father Knows Best

Conventional wisdom tells us that the fathering role is one of being a provider, nurturer and teacher.

My mom preached “father knows best” whenever it came to what I should or should not be doing and like most kids I hated being controlled all the time and thought my father was trying to make me be like him too much.

But what if dad is not around? The epidemic of absent Black fathers is vastly increasing and getting worst and worst with an estimated 24 million children live inside of a fatherless home. One could argue that the saying has lost its meaning when it comes to Black boys, and if you believe the media, every major problem in Black America can be solved if we addressed the problem of missing fathers. We know the statistics -- that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

However, responsible fatherhood only goes so far in a world plagued by institutionalized oppression. For Black boys, the presence of fathers would not alter racist drug laws, prosecutorial protection of police officers who kill, mass school closures, or high unemployment. By focusing on the supposed absence of black fathers, we allow ourselves to pretend this oppression is not real, while also further scapegoating Black men for America’s societal ills.

Now that I’m a father to 4 sons, I find myself sounding just like my father, saying, "don't do this!" or "don't do that!" I lost my Dad over 10 years ago, and looking back, he was right in most all the things he told me.

Which brings me to the irrepressible LaVar Ball. He’s father to Lonzo Ball, the 2nd pick in the recent NBA draft, and rising stars LiAngelo and LaMelo. He’s also the owner of the Big Baller brand of athletic apparel inspired by his basketball playing sons.

As a sports industry pioneer of sorts, I have seen far too many dads abdicate their power and responsibility over their sons to 30-something White agents who wanted the control I resisted from my father as a youngster. I have also seen far too many 30-something White agents convince unsuspecting (and business illiterate) athletes to follow their lead, and abandon the advice and counsel of the man most responsible for the kid’s success.

I also see LaVar’s decision to defy conventional wisdom by creating the #BigBallerBrand as one of the biggest stories of the year for the Black community. Think the Kardashian’s with talent. Not only is Lonzo the “new face of the Lakers” but brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo are NBA prospects in their own right.

I liken LaVar’s efforts to control the Ball brand and destiny to those of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela when the 5 oil producing countries established OPEC to ensure greater leverage of the global market and greater control over their natural resource in the face of multinational corporations that had largely controlled oil markets.

The only folk really upset are those who would have us believe that it is not good to buck conventional wisdom and not allow established athletic apparel and gear companies to commercialize the Ball brand their way...for their primary benefit. Those that would argue that Black fathers don’t know best. If you consider the level of brand awareness Lavar Ball is generating, he’ll always be able to circle back to the established companies and talk turkey with unprecedented leverage. If you don’t think so, consider how Justin Bieber rose to fame through YouTube.

Why? Racism. Consider what one writer had to say following LaVar’s WWE debut: “If you thought this would be the most idiotic, nonsensical celebrity wrestling angle since David Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, you'd be right.” Never mind that the BBB logo was plastered everywhere during the telecast, gaining unprecedented exposure to the 36 million viewers in more than 150 countries the WWE counts among its followers.

It’s mostly economics. If ever there was a crash at the Intersection of Race, Sports & Money™ this is one…in which the Balls will emerge victorious.

Nike had sales of $32.4 billion last year. The company has leveraged the Michael Jordan name to become the world’s most famous sports brand. One of every two basketball shoes sold in the U.S. last year carried the Jordan brand. Factor in Nike-branded shoe sales into the mix, and Nike has a near monopoly in basketball with market share of 92%, according to Sports OneSource. Beyond sales of basketball shoes, MJ and King James also drive sales of apparel and other non-basketball shoe items for Nike.

According to Forbes, Jordan’s net worth is about $750 million. According to published reports, LeBron’s net worth is $275 million. Based on his Nike holdings along, Knight is ranked as the 43rd richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$18.4 billion.

Imagine if MJ and King James developed facilities to make shoes in the inner city instead of in facilities in Indonesia where children under 16 are paid like "slaves". Such a bold move would change the conversation from whose contribution to the game is greater to who has done the most to help create winners from a lost generation of youngsters. Better yet, watch LaVar Ball and his boys defy conventional wisdom in the spirit of Richard Williams (Serena and Venus) and Earl Woods (Tiger). The kicker would be for the family to gain the support of the City of Los Angeles (now that Lonzo is a Laker) and build a factory in South Central.

As most of have discovered as parents, there will come a time when the world will have to acknowledge LaVar Ball as a visionary ahead of his time. In the meantime, we can watch as he builds wealth for his family instead of for the global firms that have largely controlled the athletic apparel market.

Fathers do know best, even when we don’t agree with them.