According to one former sneaker executive, there is a very distinct chance this is all going to work out just fine for Lonzo Ball.

Sonny Vaccaro, who is largely credited with the Jordan sneaker deal, thinks if the former UCLA player can have a good rookie year, anything’s possible for his shoe sales — even if they are getting blasted on the internet for being a whopping $495 (or close to a grand with an autograph).

There’s a big time lapse, he pointed out, between when the sneakers actually ship and the announcement. Which gives Ball time to have a good start to his NBA career.

“When he starts playing the $500 shoe, that’s a collector item,” Vaccaro said.

The best case scenario, according to Vaccaro, would be for Ball to go the Lakers — a place where fans are willing to spend more on their stars and fame comes more easily.

“I think the public is going to fall in love with him. He’s done nothing wrong the dad’s brash and that’s fine, that’s OK,” he said.

Speaking of the Jordan shoe though, even that was thought to be expensive in its day. But it — and the shoe industry itself — changed since then to become a place where collectors might snap up a shoe at the close to half a grand price, just to have it in their collections.

Price of Jordan I in 1985: $64.99. Adjusted for inflation: $147 today. LaVar Ball set the price for the ZO2 336% higher than MJ's 1st shoe pic.twitter.com/ZISdVcmwKl — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 5, 2017

And if they don’t succeed, Vaccaro said, it’s not like Lonzo Ball is taking a huge hit for his possible career earnings. There’s still endorsements, commercials and a hefty NBA salary that he’ll be banking in coming years should everything go to plan. Best case scenario? They’ve created a new market without reliance on Nike or Adidas (or even Reebok).

Ball also joins a list of players who have gone without the major brands including, most memorably Stephon Marbury. Klay Thompson is signed to the Chinese shoe company Anta.

David Carter, the executive director of the USC Marshall Sports Business Institute wrote in an email to For The Win that the key is for Lonzo Ball’s prolonged success on the court and lack of controversy of of it.

“However,” he warned, “If they haven’t done so already, they face the very real risk of becoming caricatures of themselves and this has already been underscored by social media’s response to the positioning and pricing of the shoe.

“Seemingly out of touch with core consumers, the Balls are banking on the fact, literally and figuratively, that they can establish a top shelf brand absent any meaningful track record – and this is always a risk due to a variety of factors such as the potential for injury, the alienation of established footwear and apparel titans, disdain from established stars, and media coverage which, to date, has carried with it a less than compelling undercurrent.”

“Despite all this,” he added, “it just may be true that there is no such thing as bad publicity as sports fans and consumers have extremely short memories.”

Vaccaro said he’s pretty sure that will be the case.

“It’s not as risky as you may think,” he said.