In the latest hit against sham science in sports, two NBA superstars have been named in a federal class-action lawsuit against Power Balance, the company behind a popular $30 bracelet that claimed to help athletes of all levels with their “strength, balance and flexibility.”
Earlier this month, under pressure from Australian authorities, the company released a statement saying there is no concrete or peer-reviewed science to back those claims:
We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims and therefore we engaged in misleading conduct …
If you feel you have been misled by our promotions, we wish to unreservedly apologise and offer a full refund.
A week later, though, the ownership of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings announced that it had reached an agreement — no doubt worth tens of millions of dollars — with the Southern California-based company toput its name on the Kings’ basketball arena for at least five years.
Now, Brian Casserly of Greenwood Lake, New York, has taken the first step in taking not only the company to task for any potentially misleading claims but also the athletes themselves — specifically Boston’s Shaquille O’Neal and Los Angeles’ Lamar Odom — that wear the product in front of millions of impressionable fans watching on national TV.
The January 21 suit, which will now be heard by a judge to be determined if it has any merit to go to trial, is seeking damages in excess of $5 million on behalf of more than 100 people. Specifically, the suit alleges that Power Balance engaged in fraud, false advertising, unfair competition, and “unjust enrichment.” (You can download the lawsuit here.)
For its part, the company claims it never made any specific scientific claims about what the product does or doesn’t purport to do when worn.
“The mission of Power Balance has always been to develop and deliver quality products that enhance people’s lives,” said company president Keith Kato in a statement. “Our products are based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many holistic and Eastern philosophies.
“Frankly, we know there will always be critics of new technologies, but our products are used by those with open minds who experience real results. Our company is absolutely committed to further evaluating the technology behind its products’ performance so that we can continue to offer products that enhance people’s lifestyle.”
So the company says it makes no scientific claims that it improves performance, but Shaquille O’Neal is sure convinced it does, even going so far as to sit for this promotional video, as well as help conduct some sort of Power Balance “camp” that shows off the bracelet to young players.
Another athlete all too eager to promote the product — though he’s not named in the lawsuit — is NHL star Teemu Selanne.
Power Balance started selling its wares in 2007, but the company enjoyed unprecedented success in 2010, snagging the aforementioned endorsements, doing around $35 million in sales, and being namedSports Product of the Year by CNBC’s Darren Rovell.
However, it appears that it’s destined to be included among a growing group of dubious products that make claims to help athletes perform better than they could’ve hoped.
It’s reminiscent of last fall’s kerfuffle involving Phiten necklaces, which became very popular with dozens of Major League Baseball players. The debate peaked during the World Series when prominent members of both the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants wore the multicolored neckwear during games, and the company was upfront about how it “regulates the body’s energy flow by stabilizing ions.”
Power Balance also claims that the bracelets “react with the body’s natural energy flow,” but while Phiten has made some attempt to back up its product with science, Power Balance doesn’t seem interested in going that route.
