Reebok was once a fringe, but ever-present member of the NBA shoe game. Between the Shaqnosises from Shaquille O’Neal with their ridiculous spiral pattern to Allen Iverson’s oversized Questions that always looked like a four door sedan, they were on the feet of major names and were available in top flight retailers. Now, however, the brand has languished in general obscurity without the ability to sign major athletes or produce quality shoes.
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New Balance has Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray, Anta has D’Angelo Russell and Dwyane Wade, Reebok has… Matas Buzelis and Angel Reese. Even second-tier brands have been able to find major talent to sign, with the exception of Reebok. So, the brand went looking for answers by searching in the past.
Reebok hired Shaq as the President of Reebok Basketball and A.I. as the Vice President in 2023. With the move, Reebok hoped that their past faces could bring back the good times. Both have promised to revitalize the image of the company. Shaq made an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where he spoke about his role, working to bring Reebok back on top.
“You know, for me, growing up a military child, you know, Father always taught me to accept the challenge,” he said. “Meet the challenge head-on and try to overcome the challenge. When Authentic Brands Group had the ability to buy Reebok, I wanted to, you know, step up to the challenge of bringing Reebok back.”
Showcasing a shoe co-designed by his son Shareef, Shaq said, “This experience was fun. I got to work with my son.”
O’Neal spoke about how Reebok signed young names, and to keep up with what the youth wants, he called in a surprise consultant.
“We signed Angel Reese,” started Shaq, sharing the biggest news the brand has had since the early 2000s, “and I got to work with my oldest son Shareef because he’s like my portal to these youngsters, because you know these youngsters are crazy.”
Fallon showed a clip of Shaq’s new show Power Moves, which details his process of recruiting at Reebok. During the clip, he focused on his military background as the basis of his stubbornness. “We’re taught one way,” said O’Neal. Considering their view from the outside looking in, it’ll be a process to find a working blueprint to re-establish Reebok, one that Shaq will have to learn.
“He trusts me and I want to prove him right” : Shareef O’Neal on helping his father
In a 2023 interview, Shareef shared the strange timing of Shaq’s call for aid from his son. At the time, O’Neal the younger was still pursuing an NBA career, grinding away with the G-League Stockton Kings. Despite this eating up all of his time, he was still excited to help his dad when asked.
“I’m glad he trusted me,” Shareef told Boardroom in a 2023 interview. “I kind of took that personally. Like, okay, I really want to help this brand because he trusts me, and I want to prove that I can do it.”
Even just signing a star like Angel Reese is a huge step. By putting an emphasis on the WNBA first and getting a young face of the brand, Reebok has a chance at re-entering the tier right under the behemoths like Nike, Adidas, and Jordan.
