Reebok’s new basketball chief is a slam dunk

Reebok has been relatively quiet on the marketing vibe front but it’s making a big splash this week with the appointment of its new president of basketball.

That would be Reebok basketball president Shaquille O’Neal, three-time National Basketball Association champion and current pitchman for Reebok, PepsiCo, Icy Hot, and Taco Bell, among others. In 2022, O'Neal also signed a lucrative extension with broadcast company TNT to analyze NBA games.

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The new appointment comes at a time when Reebok says it’s expanding its marketing vision that historically has focused on solo sporting ventures like running, tennis, fitness and training, and hiking. Now it wants to pivot to team sports with the NBA firmly in its sightline.

Last month, the sports apparel company announced its intent to steer its brand to performance basketball. Landing Shaq for its basketball chief role represents the capstone of a somewhat surprising move. NBA centers, after all, don’t move on to the C-Suite for big brand sportswear companies – until now.

O’Neal has been aligned with Reebok ever since his entry into the NBA in 1992. That same year, Reebok inked O’Neal to an endorsement deal that was the brand’s biggest sponsorship deal ever.

31 years later, Shaq is headed to the corner office at Reebok and seems bullish about being chosen for the job. “We’re back, baby. Get ready!”, he said in an Oct. 12 social media post.

“With the combination of his deep-rooted history with Reebok and the reigning influence he’s made on the game, there is no one better than this guy to take the helm and lead our brand back to reclaiming its rightful place and dominance in basketball,” said Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky.

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In his new role, O’Neal “will lead the brand’s basketball category strategy and cultivate partnerships with athletes and organizations in the brand’s quest to return to its position as a dominant force in the sport,” Reebok stated.

O’Neal will have familiar company on the Reebok hoops management team. Former Philadelphia 76ers legend Alan Iverson is coming aboard as vice president of basketball at Reebok. Iverson, whose sponsorship role with the company dates back to 1996, will be tasked with player recruitment, community initiatives, and athlete activation, Reebok said in a statement.

Canton, Mass.-based Reebok was purchased by Authentic Brands for $2.5 billion in August 2021. O’Neal, an Authentic Brands shareholder, reportedly played a big, behind-the-scenes role in the purchase, according to Reebok.

In 2006, sports apparel company Adidas purchased Reebok for $2.8 billion. Adidas divested Reebok in February 2021.

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