“He is the only man who had me terrified on the court,” Shaquille O’Neal said about MJ. But he faced the Chicago Bulls legend bravely in the 1995 playoffs. He had to learn the free throws and so much more just so he and the Orlando Magic could take up the challenge against the Bulls. The Big Aristotle fought tooth and nail to compete and win against MJ. It seems O’Neal isn’t ready to drop the battle. The two have come face-to-face once again even after their retirement, this time in business, and the Lakers legend is clear about his stance.

Shaq hasn’t hesitated to show just how competitive he is. As president of basketball operations at Reebok, the Lakers legend is determined to help the brand reach the top. But to do that, he must compete with Nike, the brand associated with the Chicago Bulls legend. And the Big Aristotle is already making moves.

Shaquille O’Neal pitched a deal to Devin Booker

Previously, NBA legend Devin Booker had expressed his dissatisfaction with Nike. Booker had an issue with his Nike sneakers and he made it known in his social media. His first signature sneaker wasn’t globally launched. The Big Aristotle took the opportunity and decided to lure the Phoenix Suns star to Reebok.  

The NBA legend made his pitch twice. However, it didn’t work out with Booker. The 4x NBA All-Star wasn’t interested in taking the deal. “AI ‘question’ was cool. But nobody wearing no ** Shaqs,” Booker said. Well, cut to the present, the basketball star has launched a few more variations of his signature shoes. Jordan has earned $250 million from his deal with the Bulls in 2022. However, O’Neal’s earnings have not yet been disclosed. 

It was during the beginning of O’Neal’s career when he decided to choose to sign a deal with Reebok rather than Nike. 

Shaquille O’Neal chose Reebok over Nike 

The Lakers legend joined the NBA in 1992. Since then, he has had several iconic deals and his shoe deal is one of them. It wasn’t the case that Nike didn’t offer him a deal. In fact, the brand proposed a $14 million contract for Shaq to sign with them. However, he had one condition, he wanted his own signature shoe deal, similar to the one Michael Jordan had. This demand ultimately led him to join Reebok instead.

Unfortunately, the shoes didn’t sell well. Meanwhile, his former Orlando Magic teammate made a significant profit with his own shoe deal. Knowing what he needed to do, O’Neal parted ways with Reebok and signed with his favorite retailer, Walmart. This partnership led to the sale of 400 million pairs of shoes.

“We’re not gonna sell cheap shoes. We’re gonna sell good shoes at a cheap price. Cause it’s not that kids don’t wanna wear $29 shoes, they don’t wanna wear shoes that look like they cost $29.00,” the basketball legend said about his decision in a conversation with Brian J. Roberts.

Shaquille O’Neal has big plans for his job in Reebok

The Big Aristotle seems to have big plans to compete with the Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Nike. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has asked his son, Shareef O’Neal, to join him and help with the rebranding. In an interview, Shareef admitted that he decided to join Reebok after his father asked him to.

“He’s like, ‘Can you do me a favor this year? Can you help me rebrand Reebok? I’ll let you help redesign the shoes… redesign the clothes and help sign players. I really need your help,” Shareef said about his father’s wish to join Reebok.

He has also helped the brand bring in promising talent, Angel Reese, to the team. Things are about to heat up for the brand. Reebok thrived in the 1980s market until Michael Jordan changed the game. It’s well-known how Jordan shifted the spotlight to Nike. With O’Neal as President of Basketball Operations and Allen Iverson as VP, Reebok has a chance to make a comeback.