Reebok is greatly trying to revamp its image in the basketball industry with its recent basketball decisions. The sports brand recently announced their former-signed athletes Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson as basketball operations’ President and Vice President, respectively. At the helm of Reebok’s new basketball endeavors, Shaq and AI took their first significant step by signing future WNBA star Angel Reese to Reebok.
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Reese is an up-and-coming WNBA prospect who has earned flowers from the big man Shaq himself. The LSU Tigers sophomore helped her team win the 2023 NCAA championship and was voted the tournament’s most outstanding award. As Reebok gets a future WNBA star onboard, here is a list of all the players who had signed with Reebok and donned their shoes over the years.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal became the face of Reebok’s basketball brand when he signed a $15,000,000 multi-year deal with the brand in its rookie year in 1992. During his NBA career, Shaq donned some of his iconic Reebok releases, such as Shaq Attaq and Shaqnosis shoes.
Shaq’s most significant role in Reebok was when he started to own shares in the parent group ABG in 2015. By the year 2021, the big man became a part owner of the company after ABG finalized a $2.1 billion acquisition from Adidas. Since then, Diesel has risen in the ranks to rise as the brand’s Basketball Operations President.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson is the next big name who made his mark with Reebok during his NBA career. AI first signed his 10-year $50,000,000 deal with the brand and was offered a lifetime contract by the brand in 2001. One of the clauses in his contract mentioned a $32,000,000 trust fund, which saved him from getting broke.
Back in the day, AI was spending over $50,000 on strippers and other lavishes, greatly depleting his net worth. The $32,000,000 trust fund pays AI over $800,000 every year for the rest of his life, in addition to gaining access to the trust fund on his 55th birthday.
Currently, AI has been selected as the Vice President of Reebok’s basketball operations, where he has already started making big moves.
Yao Ming
In 2003, Reebok successfully signed Yao Ming in a multi-year deal, successfully snatching the Houston Rockets legend from Nike. The Chinese superstar signed this new contract, opening lucrative market opportunities for Reebok in China.
Ming signed a $75,000,000 for ten years, which placed him second to the then Cleveland Cavalier rookie LeBron James’ $90,000,000 Nike deal.
John Wall
Reebok had outbid competitors Nike and Under Armor to sign 2010 rookie John Wall for $25,000,000. During that time, Wall was expected to be the face of the brand, looking to replace Allen Iverson over time.
However, after being signed to the brand for three years, Wall announced his separation in 2013. The former Clippers guard next signed a multi-year deal with Adidas for an undisclosed amount the same year.
Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins is best remembered for his time with the Atlanta Hawks during the late ’80s decade. The Hawks forward had signed a four-year endorsement contract with the brand, which led him to promote Reebok’s iconic ‘Pump’ shoes. These shoes rose in immense popularity before their eventual downfall in the 2010s.
Reebok is seemingly trying to revitalize its position in the basketball market after appointing basketball legends like Shaq and Allen Iverson at the helm of basketball operations.
After signing star player Angel Reese, the brand looks eager to compete with the likes of shoe giants Nike and Adidas, who dominate the current market, to gain a prominent position that it enjoyed in the erstwhile era of the league.
