Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson didn’t let us savor their big jump into the Reebok leadership for too long. Pretty soon, they were teasing the arrival of ‘the GOAT‘ under the brand on social media. After 24 hours of suspense, they announced their first signing as the president and VP of Reebok’s basketball division. Angel Reese, the then reigning NCAA champ from LSU, signed an NIL deal under Reebok. Now she’s a pro playing with the Chicago Sky and a signature shoe line is in the works. And nothing undercuts the big gamble Reebok, Shaq and Reese took.

“No one was expecting a college player, and no one was expecting a woman,” Reese told the NY Times. She was a $1.8 million worth NIL college star, who was also huge on TikTok. She ended up becoming a worthy face of Reebok basketball. “The world’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to it meant so much to me.”

Shaq was the one who pushed Authentic Brands Group to acquire Reebok from Adidas. He pitched taking over the basketball division. And he was the instigator to sign the Bayou Barbie. He knew what was at stake with his first signing after returning to Reebok. “If this doesn’t work, everyone’s leaving,” he categorically stated, adding that even he was on the chopping block. “Everyone’s going to get gone, including me.”

Shaq’s got undisclosed plans for more signature athletes. Nike currently boasts a lot of star power, including Reese’s rival Caitlin Clark. But with Reese and what he’s got in store, he’s not intimidated. His strategies are paying off steadily. And the mentor-athlete relationship between them made sense of all the risks.

Shaquille O’Neal made Reebok an easy choice

Reese had the Big Diesel in her corner since she arrived at LSU, Shaq’s alma mater, with fanfare. She’d win the school’s first National Championship and O’Neal declared her the GOAT for that. They wouldn’t meet in person until O’Neal’s youngest daughter, Me’Arah, was on the college tour. Meezy was encouraged to pick the school that was right for her and she chose Florida. Meanwhile, O’Neal became a mentor to Reese.

“She’s like a daughter to me,” O’Neal said. “She’s fearless. She’s herself.” They refer to each other as ‘Unc’ and ‘niece’ on Instagram. He even defended her on social media while guiding her to navigate the haters on her tail.

Earlier this month, Reese confessed she could’ve taken any of the other offers on the table, including Nike. But like Shaq, she wants to go against the grain. “I’m bringing Reebok back,” like her mentor, she asserted. She’s so inspired by Shaq that she’s hoping to take his job at Reebok one day. Her NIL deal is now a signature shoe deal, she confirmed. She’s got goals too, to have her sneakers everywhere. It just makes Shaq and Angel the star duo Reebok needed.

More of Shaq’s goals for Reebok were elaborated by his close friend, Leonard Armato exclusively to EssentiallySports.