Reebok appointed Shaquille O’Neal as president of Reebok Basketball, with Allen Iverson serving as division vice president. Both NBA legends have longstanding relationships with Reebok and its parent company, Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), where Shaq is reportedly the second-largest individual shareholder.
In addition to a long personal and professional relationship with Authentic Chairman and CEO Jamie Salter, Shaq also goes back nearly 30 years with Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky, who was running the basketball business when Paul Fireman ran the brand. The Adidas Group acquired Reebok from Fireman in January 2006 for approximately $3.8 billion.
The Reebok brand was acquired by Authentic in 2022 from Adidas for $2.46 billion. Shaq told Complex in an interview that he “helped urge them to get Reebok because I got tired of seeing my baby pushed further and further and further away.”
The appointments of O’Neil and Iverson are part of Reebok’s plan to re-establish its positioning in team sports, beginning with basketball.
O’Neal will lead the brand’s basketball category strategy, overseeing player recruitment and negotiating deals on behalf of Reebok. He will also participate in the product creation process, marketing and events.
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.
“We’re back, baby!” O’Neal said in a statement. “Get ready.”
“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 the 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.”
Iverson, who signed with Reebok in 1996, will focus on player recruitment, grassroots/community-based initiatives and athlete activations like the Iverson Classic. Iverson’s signature sneakers, the “Question” and the “Answer,” continue to sell for the brand.
Photos courtesy Reebok
