Between their initial release in 1993 and their flying off the shelves within minutes after a restock, Deion Sanders’ Nike “Prime” has experienced a long haul. At this point, they possess a rich history and beautiful memories. Shaquille O’Neal and Reggie Bush are a part of it. Let’s hear it from Deion Sanders himself.

Honoring all the mentorship that Shaquille O’Neal and Reggie Bush have provided, not to mention all the words of praise that both legends have thrown in for Coach Prime, time and again, Deion Sanders took special time-out to give a massive shout-out to them and express his gratitude.

Taking to Instagram, Deion Sanders put on his rapping hat for a minute, penning a special rhythmic note for his mentors. “It’s been 35 years in the light KD, At least 25 of them filled with Envy, Reggie Bushed me but u THREW it Back, Deion’s still Popping like my Hitta @Shaq,” Coach Prime wrote, sharing a picture of his iconic Air Max DT ’96’s in Colorado colorway.

Deion Sanders has had his fair share of exchanges with Bush, good or bad. But given the applause Shaquille O’Neal has given Prime, they had a poetic note long coming from Prime. Hell, even a whole rap verse would equate looking at the acclaim Shaq has made of Deion Sanders.

“I know exactly what the [Colorado] kids are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you’re trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden,” Shaq said to TMZ, extolling Coach Prime as “the best coach in college football.” If Prime can execute his recruiting strategy well, it won’t be too distant for Deion Sanders to steal that title from Nick Saban in the future.

Deion Sanders maximizing the benefits of Nike Prime

Fans’ outcry at the highly awaited Primes selling out in seconds gave Deion Sanders another sizzling marketing dimension to his already working recruitment plan. During his interview with ON3, Deion Sanders revealed how he plans to capitalize on the craze his iconic shoes have garnered to lure in more prospects for his program.

It was a confident “This year, we will,” from Deion Sanders’ end when he asserted his shoes would greatly affect the volume of players coming to Colorado. “You know why? Because the guys that ball, they going to get them. Show me what you got and then I can count on you,” Prime said, giving the ultimate bait to student-athletes to play well this season.

This, paired with his non-orthodox recruiting strategy of not visiting campus for recruitment as the benchmark, means that student-athletes are expected to flock to the Boulder campus. They might as well get their hands on some exclusive Primes!