Multi-million dollar deals usually don’t happen in the middle of a podcast. But when you’re Travis Kelce and Shaquille O’Neal, the usual rules don’t apply.
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Recently, the NBA legend appeared on the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, where he shared his thoughts on everything, from being the “Black Kelce” to his new project of reviving Reebok.
What started as a casual conversation about sneakers, however, turned into a real business pitch from O’Neal to the Kansas City Chiefs star. It’s an offer that might just signal a new chapter for the American footwear brand in the NFL.
Shaq was originally reflecting on how his journey with Reebok was reignited after a moment with a young fan. “So one kid was like, hey, I want some Jordans,” Shaq recalled. “So I bring a whole bunch of Jordans… The kid goes, ‘No man, I want some Jordan 11s.’ I’m like, what the fuc* is Jordan 11s?”
This thought intriguingly triggered something in the Hall of Fame center. Noticing the gap in product identity compared to Jordan’s iconic numbered series, Shaq approached his partners at Authentic Brands Group and pushed to revive the Reebok brand in a big way. “We need to fuc*ing do a deal now. We get some Shaq 1s, 2s, 3s,” he told them, frustrated by how the brand had stalled.
That drive to reshape Reebok’s legacy is why O’Neal didn’t hesitate when the topic turned to Kelce’s current deal. “You guys have a shoe deal?” he asked, before Jason Kelce chimed in, “Trav does.”
“I got an on-the-field deal, yeah,” Travis said. “Off the field, I wear Jordans. Because they have that old school retro Jordan high top from the ’90s that I really know.”
The Diesel’s response was swift and full of opportunity when he heard a vacancy in the Chiefs TE’s portfolio:
“I don’t know how long your deal is, but whenever you want to talk about Kelce cleats at Reebok, I could fuc*ing walk you in… I got the key card.”
Unsurprisingly, Shaq’s unexpected offer pumped the brothers up, with Jason seemingly the most hyped: “Dog, you are going to be so excited.”
What happened next was the sporting juggernauts taking a trip down the nostalgia lane, with both brothers reminiscing on how Reebok used to be synonymous with NFL gear. “Reebok was… the NFL sponsor when I first got in,” the former Eagle remembered. “They did everything — jerseys, you name it.”
This led Shaquille O’Neal to remember how Adidas, back in 2005, acquired Reebok for a whopping $3.8 billion. Though the German company ended up selling Reebok to the Authentic Brands Group for a loss at $2.5 billion, the 4x NBA Champion credited Adidas for making the “brilliant move” back then, as it helped them take over all of Reebok’s deals at the time.
That said, the Big Diesel is now putting the pieces back in motion with the folks at ABG. He’s begun his mission by signing Angel Reese to her own signature shoe and adapting to modern trends by shifting from high tops to the low-cut styles dominating today’s game.
“We launched our first shoe in January. And the first signing I had to make was Angel Reese… I said, I can give you your own shoe. You want to go to Nike and wear everybody else’s shoe or you want to have your own shoe?”
With Shaquille O’Neal making his pitch loud and clear, the door for Travis Kelce to step into Reebok cleats — and possibly his own signature line might not just be a pipe dream. Because if there’s anyone who can make it happen, it’s the guy with the key card.
