“I Know Y’all Aren’t Happy With The Sneaker Launch”: Shaquille O’Neal Tries To Poach Devin Booker From Nike To Reebok

Shaquille O’Neal often uses his social media to share any interesting stat, opinion, or highlight that he comes across. But this time, Shaq used Instagram for a much bolder purpose, trying to convince Devin Booker to jump ship from Nike to Reebok. The newly anointed President of Reebok Basketball tried his best by even alleging the fact that Booker wasn’t happy with the launch of his new sneakers – the Nike Book 1.

Devin Booker has been a Nike-associated athlete ever since he was drafted into the NBA back in 2015. Eight years later, the brand has rewarded the Phoenix Suns superstar with his very own line of signature sneakers. Earlier this past offseason, D-Book used Instagram, being cryptic while revealing a few details about his shoe. And since the beginning of the 2023-2024 season, the combo guard has been donning the same.

Over the past few months, the 6ft 6” star has been seen wearing multiple colorways of his signature sneakers. However, the shoes have not yet been launched for the public. As of now, selling merely 500 pairs in December was the only launch that the American brand has organized. Despite this fact, Shaquille O’Neal seemed confident when he boldly claimed that Booker wasn’t happy with the “launch”.

Hey @dbook. I know y’all aren’t happy with the sneaker launch. You should come with @reebok . We just getting started. Hit me.

 

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Shaquille O’Neal is quite inaccurate with this ‘inside information’ that he seems to have. From all the interviews and promotions seen so far, it is evident that D-Book is more than happy. Apart from being given the liberty to work on his sneakers, Booker also mentioned how the concept for the upcoming shoes in the signature line is already being planned for.

That said, it is a bit hard to blame Shaq for trying. After all, given that he is trying to get Reebok up and running again, it is obvious that he is going to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

Shaquille O’Neal has been associated with Reebok since the 1990s

Back in 1992, when Shaquille O’Neal was drafted into the league, he was a Reebok-signed athlete. Over the past several decades, Reebok and Shaq had a successful relationship, releasing a plethora of signature shoes. In 2023, a few years after Reebok was acquired by the Authentic Brand Group from Adidas, the brand announced a few new additions to the management.

Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson, athletes who represented Reebok during their playing days, were named the President and the Vice President of Reebok Basketball, respectively. Apart from being the President of the brand, the Big Aristotle has the 2^nd largest shareholding in the Authentic Brands Group, the agency that owns Reebok.

Among his first moves as the brand’s basketball division’s President, the Los Angeles Lakers legend signed LSU superstar Angel Reese to a multi-year NIL (name, image, and likeliness) deal.

With the brand slowly rebuilding itself, it makes sense why Shaq is using his position to influence a few players to join Reebok. While Devin Booker might be off-bounds, Shaq and the Reebok will certainly try pursuing a few sneaker free agents.