“Definitely Make Some Noise”: After Helping People Save Tons of Money, Shaquille O’Neal Turns a New Leaf With Championship Energy

If there’s one thing assured from Shaquille O’Neal the entrepreneur, he’s going to be involved with every brand he’s a part of. Everyone who has worked with Shaq on his multiple business ventures would vouch there’s nothing half-hearted about his effort. Big Diesel is vowing to bring his signature energy to his new role in an old arena.

After walking away from the sneaker business to launch his own affordable footwear line, Shaq’s now determined to take an old athletic brand to new heights. He revealed his plans in a candid interview with GQ.

Shaquille O’Neal has a vision for Reebok

The Big Aristotle touched on everything from his favorite fast-food joint to his career in conversation with GQ. It was inevitable that his new role at Reebok would come up. Shaq is now the President of the Basketball Division at Reebok and has a sidekick in new VP, Allen Iverson.

This announcement has been revolutionary. Fans anticipate a lot from these two NBA legends leading the sneaker superbrand’s operations. While neither the two players-turned-execs nor Reebok have stated what the roles will entail, rest assured all 7 feet of Shaq will be involved in it.

“I’m going to be hands-on. I’m not the head designer, but I’ll definitely have my hands in all that,” he told GQ.

With a knack for surrounding himself with experts, Shaq’s already building his squad at Reebok. “When you win championships, it’s all about teammates,” Shaq said about his new colleagues. “We are trying to re-emerge. We’ll definitely, definitely make some noise.”

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While announcing this “historic” partnership, Reebok’s reps said that their history with Shaq and his “reigning influence” will be the game-changer for the company. Even Shaq believes, “there’s no one more qualified for this role,” than he is.

Big Chicken CEO, Josh Halpern also hyped Shaq’s commitment to all his businesses. He’s not just a celebrity who attaches his name to anything. According to Halpern, Shaq stays involved in a big way.

Shaq wants to make shoes affordable

With his NBA debut in 1992, Shaq also bagged his first sneaker deal. Reebok released classics like the Shaq Attaq design which he’d wear at his games.

However, he left Reebok when a disgruntled woman lambasted him on the street for selling overpriced sneakers to kids. She challenged him to make affordable footwear and Shaq took it as a wake-up call.

O’Neal launched a line of affordable shoes with Walmart. His shoes cost less than $30 and were a hit. By 2021, Walmart had sold around $400 million shoes under this brand.

He’s now not just back as the face of the brand but also going to nose-deep in decision-making. Shaq told GQ he’s got a lot to do. He’s going to have input in product development, forge partnerships with athletes, and will regularly visit the headquarters in Boston.

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Reebok is certainly going to make a lot of noise with Shaq and AI at the helm. What do you anticipate from this larger-than-life combination at the top?