Lonzo Ball's father, LaVar, confirmed that Nike, Under Armour and Adidas informed him they were not interested in completing a deal with his son.
Never in the history of modern-day shoe endorsements have the big companies all stepped away from a potential top pick nearly two months before the NBA draft.
In his meetings with all three companies, LaVar, who has been representing Lonzo in the deal, insisted that they license his upstart Big Baller Brand from him, according to the companies.
"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar told ESPN, "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner."