The Chicago Bulls legend MJ has a rare habit. A habit of surpassing his former self. That habit poses an uphill battle for anyone competing against him. The Big Aristotle knows this well, as do several NBA players, executives, and business owners. The 6 X NBA champion’s latest business move is likely to disappoint many of his competitors. And the LA Lakers legend who is putting all his efforts into elevating Reebok as part of his deal and job, might be one of them. 

Nike has pulled out all the stops to expand the Jordan Brand, and it’s really paying off. The hard work is showing, as annual sales have seen a significant rise. The day isn’t far when the Jordan Brand will be declared the second-largest and most important footwear brand in North America. Don’t believe us? 

The numbers tell the story better. From $2.8 billion, sales have surged to $7 billion in just 7 years. The Jordan Brand hit $6.6 billion last year, while, as per Zippia, Reebok earned $2.3 billion the same year. While Adidas had an annual sales value of $21 billion, Puma had a sale of $8 billion last year.

It’s quite a challenge. But Nike has also claimed that the Jordan Brand might be able to surpass the best brands here after they recorded a growth of more than 30% in fiscal 2023. 

According to Statista, about 24% of sneaker owners in the United States own a pair of Jordans. And 34% of the owners are Gen-Z, so the demand isn’t dying anytime soon and the name behind the brand, Michael Jordan, is getting his worth.

In 2022, MJ earned $250 million from his deal as part of the 5% royalty. It rose to be $350 million this year alone. Shaquille O’Neal’s earnings from the brand haven’t been shared with the public, but he is determined to bring the brand back in the game. 

Shaquille O’Neal is moving mountains for his job in Rebook

As we see now, there’s quite much on the plate for Shaquille O’Neal. The current gap is significant. One of his first move after being named the President of Basketball Operations was an attempt to bring Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker onto the show. However, that didn’t seem to help. While Booker had issues with the launch of his signature shoes, he ultimately refused to join Reebok.

The President of Basketball Operations at Reebok, O’Neal, and Allen Iverson as vice president, are working hard to uplift the company and help it reach the top. O’Neal may have had the upper hand once while playing against Jordan in jersey number 45, but MJ ultimately overpowered him. Even in business, O’Neal is doing everything in his power to help Reebok surpass Nike.

Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers legend has asked his son, Shareef O’Neal, to join the deal. As the young O’Neal explained, the plan is to rebrand Reebok and present a new image that the athletes can resonate with.

Hence, in another attempt, O’Neal helped secure Angel Reese on the athlete roster. The WNBA star will release her signature shoe line-up soon. Reebok and its President are cooking up some serious game here. While the brand has a chance to bounce back to its original glory, MJ has already taken a huge leap ahead, which isn’t going to be an easy one to conquer.