Even Lonzo Ball knew the Big Baller Brand was a sinking ship when he sported the $500-per-pair sneakers during his time with the Lakers in 2017.

While appearing on Josh Hart’s “LightHarted” podcast, Ball admitted that he would bring four pairs of shoes to every game because he knew they would break. He settled for switching to a new pair every quarter when he first started wearing the ZO2s at Summer League in 2017.

“No one knows the real story about them shoes, though,” Ball told his Pelicans teammate. “Them ZO2s I was playing in, they was not ready … If you literally have my shoes from those games, they was just, like, exploded.”

Ball felt like he had to wear the shoes because it was his family’s brand and they were his signature sneakers, but was much happier with his performance on the court once he switched.

“I had to debut them,” Ball explained. “We went so far with it, it was like, cool, I can get a quarter in, but that’s it. And it’s crazy, because right when I switched my shoes, all of a sudden, magically I got good again.”

It was the first time Ball spoke about his partnership with the since-collapsed company. The website has been shut down since April. Lonzo’s manager eventually told customers to throw their shoes in the trash and Lonzo covered up the “BBB” tattoo he had on his arm.

In March, Ball told ESPN he believed that Alan Foster, who owns 16.3 percent of the BBB brand and is a friend of Ball’s father, Lavar, had “used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself. As a result, I have decided to sever all ties with Alan, effective immediately.”

Ball filed a lawsuit against Foster, alleging that he “conspired to embezzle millions of dollars and then divert those funds for his personal use, including to acquire assets in Ethiopia.”

Lavar Ball previously had passed on a $10 million contract offer from Nike for his eldest son to pursue the success of the California-based brand.

The Lakers, who sent Ball along with Brandon Ingram, Hart and three first-round picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis in June, expressed their concerns about his commitment to the shoes after a string of ankle injuries while he was still playing for them.

But Lavar Ball says the brand is not submerged yet and he’s hoping to relaunch in the future.