He was the biggest Lakers promise, he didn't listen to their warnings & his career could now be ruined

One of the biggest mistakes the Lakers front office has ever had, has been their No. 2 draft selection in the generation that includes Jayson Tatum and DeAndre Fox.

Magic Johnson was then the President of Basketball Operations and he was locked on Lonzo Ball, whose father made sure to hype him up so much that the Lakers bought it on believing Lonzo was the next big thing on the level of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Now, that Ball plays with the Chicago Bulls after being a great player but not a generational talent as expected, personnel of the franchise believes that Lonzo might never play in the NBA again. And Ball's first team, the one that selected him, the LA Lakers, has a theory as to the root cause of all his injuries.

Ball has experienced lingering leg and ankle problems since the start of his career. The worst came when he had to miss the entirety of the 2022-2023 season. In addition, he's only played in more than 60 games a season once in his six-year career. At the young age of 25, he's already had to undergo three different knee surgeries. It once got so bad, Ball's knee soreness made it hard for him to walk up the stairs. The Lakers believe all the wear and tear on his knees was caused by one thing: His Big Baller Brand signature sneakers (Zo2).

The Lakers were concerned early on, Ball's signature shoes could cause an injury record

The Lakers believe all the wear and tear on his knees was caused by one thing: His Big Baller Brand signature sneakers (Zo2). In an article by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Paula Lavigne in 2019, Ball confirmed the Lakers were concerned about his shoes. All he told them was he'd be willing to do “just minor things” to adjust his sneakers if necessary. Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb also tweeted last May 2023, that the Lakers always believed his injuries were caused by the shoes: “Lakers believe his initial injury, was caused by his shoes. BBB was complete trash, no R&D like Nikes, just thrown together.”