Shaquille O'Neal Returns To Reebok Basketball With New Fancy Title!

Shaq for President! He teased it on his Instagram page a few days ago and now it's a reality for the NBA legend.

It was announced this week that Shaquille O'Neal is now the President of Basketball at Reebok. The newly created position is part of a long-term strategy for Authentic Brands Group, who acquired Reebok in August 2021, to become a major player in team sport and focus on performance basketball.

Was the NBA icon teasing his new position on Instagram when he posted a photo of him wearing a shirt that says, "Shaq for President" captioned, "would you vote for me?"? Now, a few days after sharing that photo, the answer is seemingly YES.

Alongside President O'Neal will be his vice president, former NBA star Allen Iverson.

"We just want to do things differently. That's what we were best known for back then and what we want to stay true to now," O'Neal told Boardroom. "A big part of my role will be leveraging my network to build bridges, connect the brand with players, and help those players develop through their partnership with Reebok."

Iverson's role will be to spearhead player recruitment, while "placing a focus on the brand's presence in grassroots and community initiatives, and his annual 'Iverson Classic' High School showcase game."

Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky, who started with the company in 1992, said, "Being at the company for such a long time, one of the things I'm most proud about, is a lot of brands have relationships with their athletes and endorsers. Usually, they're giving them product in perpetuity and having them come to events and appearances. With this, we're actually bringing two of our legacy athletes together and having them be in real management positions within our company."

Krinsky also mentioned that this is something new in the industry that "hasn't been done before" and further explained that this is "not a consulting role."

"This is not a figurehead announcement where we create a cool title and then he goes away and calls me once in a while," Krinsky told FN. "He's committed to how we reenter the basketball community, everything from product to marketing to events. He's got a sharp point of view on things, but he's also very collaborative and he's open minded on how we can reenter."

Authentic president and chief marketing officer Nick Woodhouse also added, "There is incredible value added with his opinion, and candidly, his power to sway people and to move negotiations forward."

He called this a "natural progression" for O'Neal, to be seated at the table in a more powerful position at Reebok.

For O'Neal, it's like returning home.

The NBA legend signed with Reebok in 1992 and had iconic signature shoes, and now he will be leading the brand's basketball category strategy and creating new partnerships with organizations and athletes.

"It's all about product, players and the community and having the confidence to do things our own way. We need to capitalize on Reebok's heritage and product expertise in the sport for today's youth, but also focus on getting involved in the community from a grassroots level," O'Neal explained.

"We're going to bring in a new generation of players who have strong authenticity and passion, or what I like to refer to as the it factor, who can put their own mark on this brand and make it relevant to a whole new generation."