Twenty-five years later, Shaquille O’Neal and Reebok are collaborating again.
O’Neal was tapped as the president of Reebok Basketball, a new position at the Authentic Brands Group subsidiary as Reebok seeks to return to the elite basketball segment. Allen Iverson, who signed a new deal with ABG earlier this year, will take over as VP of Reebok Basketball.
“We’re back, baby!” O’Neal said in a statement. “Get ready.”
The move is part of a strategy shift for Reebok, which was acquired by Authentic Brands Group for $2.46 billion in 2021. Adidas purchased Reebok for $3.8 billion in 2006.
By 2025, Reebok aims to compete with the likes of Nike, Adidas and Under Armour in basketball.
“As an athlete, [O’Neal] made an incredible imprint on not only our brand, but the entire sport and culture of basketball,” Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said in a statement. “With the combination of his deep-rooted history with Reebok and reigning influence he’s made on the game, there is no one better than this guy to take the helm and lead our brand back to reclaiming its rightful place and dominance in basketball.”
O’Neal entered the NBA as a rookie in 1992 wearing Reebok, and he had the brand’s first signature shoe, the “Shaq Attaq.” Reebok and O’Neal split in 1998 as the company looked to cut costs.
That move led to O’Neal to partner with Walmart for a line of shoes that mostly cost less than $30. As of 2021, more than 400 million pairs of Shaq-branded shoes have been sold at the retailer.
The announcement comes on the heels of O’Neal expressing interest in owning an NBA team in Las Vegas.
“I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet, but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that,” O’Neal said.
