In 1984 the sports footwear market in the NBA was led by two large European brands. On the one hand the German Adidas and on the other the British Reebok. Between them they controlled more than 70% of all the shoes used in American basketball.
But in 1985 Nike, which barely represented 5% of the footwear in the NBA, launched the Air Jordan sneakers and in a few years they took over the sports footwear market in the United States. To such an extent that today the Oregon brand controls 67% of the shoes in the best basketball league in the world.
Now Reebok in 2023 has just made an executive move that will seek to recover what it lost almost 40 years ago, its maximum presence in NBA footwear. For this he hired two legends of this sport, Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson.
Shaq will serve as president of the Reebok brand’s basketball footwear division, and his right-hand man will be Iverson as vice president of the same division.
Shaquille O’Neal wearing Reebok sneakers /Getty Images for Reebok
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Shaquille with this historic appointment,” said Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky. “With the combination of her deep history with Reebok and the reigning influence she has had on the game, There is no one better than him to take the helm and lead our brand to regain its rightful place and dominance in basketball.“.
Shaq already had a relationship with Reebok, since in 1992 the European giant signed him as the face of footwear in the NBA. The relationship did not last very long, but now in another role, the former Lakers player will seek to return the brand’s place in basketball.
“This appointment means everything to me. It is a reminder of where I come from and what I have built. “I am motivated to make an impact and return the brand to its rightful place in basketball,” said Shaquille O’Neal himself.
For his part, 76ers legend Allen Iverson will be in charge of player recruitment, grassroots and community initiatives, and athlete activations such as the Iverson Classic. Reebok’s objective is clear: Dethrone Nike and the footwear monopoly in the NBA.
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2023-10-13 23:49:29
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