Building up a brand is a difficult thing. Keeping an established brand relevant is even more difficult. Yet that is the undertaking that Shaquille O’Neal hopes to do with Reebok. The Diesel recently appeared on the Today Show to discuss his latest journey into the footwear company that the Hall of Famer has been with since 1992.
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Shaq is more than just a face of Reebok, he’s also a minority owner. Back in Authentic Brand Groups, aka ABG, bought Reebok from Adidas in a deal worth around $2.5 billion. Since the big man had a major stake in ABG, the purchase also made him a part owner. It was a full-circle moment for the four-time NBA Champion, especially since he’s been connected to the brand since his playing days.
So when Shaq spoke about how he planned on getting the Reebok brand back into prominence, he also revealed some insider talk. While it is well known now that Shaq was very keen to bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on board, there were other big names on his radar from the NBA which he could not rope in.
“We wanted to sign all these players,” revealed The Diesel. “They wanted 9 and 10 million, then when I went to the board, they said, ‘Oh that’s not in your budget.'” This forced the Kazaam star to have to think on his feet, and change the brand’s approach to attracting names.
“Instead of going with the Big 10 players, we’re gonna stay down in the college and the NIL, the young players. Let the young people regrow with the brand,” he added. This is actually a marvelous idea. Rather than snagging whatever player ranks top in the country in the NCAA, he’ll find the hidden gems that can be the face of Reebok.
One name the big man signed was the WNBA’s Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky superstar is now the face of Reebok’s new shoe, the Engine A, becoming the first athlete to lead the line. It helps that Shaq and Reese have a close relationship due to the Diesel serving as a mentor to the popular women’s athlete. Now they’re teaming up in a much bigger way, and it’s cool to see it all come together naturally.
Reese isn’t alone. Reebok also brought on some of the younger stars in the NBA, like Dink Pate in the G-League and Matas Buzelis from the Chicago Bulls. Taking a swing at these players is a bold strategy for the brand, but it does help them stand apart from their biggest competitors: Nike and Under Armour.
Shaq just took on a new role as the president of basketball operations at Reebok. What’s cool is that right there beside him is Allen Iverson, who is stepping in as vice president. It’s kind of wild to see The Diesel and the Answer become an executive duo. This might fill the hole of never seeing them play together on the same team on the court.
