In 2023, Shaquille O’Neal was announced as the President of Reebok Basketball. His entire goal was to propel Reebok back to one of the staples in the basketball world, like it was when he was dominating the NBA. He knew that the journey would be impossible to achieve by himself. Despite having concerns regarding his son Shareef’s ability to handle the responsibility, Shaq sought his help.
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Nowadays, young basketball players have no idea the impact Reebok once had. During the late 1990s, the company had signature shoe deals with superstars such as Allen Iverson and Shaq. At their time, their shoes were one of the biggest commodities on the sneaker market.
The trajectory of the brand changed once Adidas purchased the company in 2005. In 2022, the Authentic Brands Group acquired Reebok from Adidas for a deal worth $2.5 billion. One of their first points of emphasis was reviving the basketball department.
Reebok was at an extreme disadvantage in comparison to its competitors. Nike and Adidas remain the juggernauts of the basketball apparel space. On the other hand, New Balance replaced Reebok’s status when they withdrew from basketball.
Times undoubtedly changed and are different from when O’Neal was a player. Shareef knows how to connect with the youth more than his father does. The only downside is that he has never stepped into a role such as this. Regardless, he didn’t let his lack of experience prevent him from thriving in his position.
“When Shareef first started working at Reebok, I had concerns,” O’Neal said in Netflix’s Power Moves. “Was he going to be ashamed? Does he really want to do it? But I’m proud of him. Overall, I want him to take over the family business.”
The company hasn’t outright revealed the role that Shareef has with the company. However, he has provided details of what his responsibilities consist of.
“Basically, my job for Reebok right now is bringing in the culture, connecting the culture to Reebok,” Shareef said on the Then They Rose podcast.
Shaq and Reebok didn’t waste any time throwing Shareef into the fire. He became the spokesperson on behalf of the company to pitch to young athletes to sign with Reebok. It was the first time he had ever done something close to this, which in turn resulted in an overwhelming amount of nerves.
Despite those nerves, Shareef has done some major work for Reebok Basketball. He was the vital figure in the company signing a top-four ranked prospect in the class of 2025, Nate Ament, to an NIL deal.
Shareef still has plans to pursue a professional basketball career, but has shown he can make a long-lasting career with Reebok. It seems he didn’t just inherit the basketball skills of his father, but also his charisma.
