"Want to do things differently": Shaquille O'Neal set for Reebok return as president 25 years after leaving to start own shoe company

Shaquille O'Neal is back with Reebok after leaving 25 years ago to start his own shoe brand. O'Neal will serve as the company's president of basketball, with Allen Iverson as vice president. The LA Lakers legend was the first superstar Reebok signed in 1992.

According to Boardroom, Authentic Brands Group plans to bring back Reebok as a basketball powerhouse in shoes. ABG acquired Reebok from Adidas in March 2022 for $2.46 billion, with Shaq among its biggest investors.

"We just want to do things differently," O'Neal said in a statement. "That's what we were best known for back then and what we want to stay true to now."

Todd Krinsky, who started Reebook with Shaquille O'Neal as their first main athlete in 1992, was appointed last year as CEO. The company also named Allen Iverson, another former Reebok athlete, as vice president of Reebok Basketball.

O'Neal's job as president is to help recruit players to join the brand, as well as business development. The four-time NBA champion has a net worth of around $400 million, so he knows a thing or two about business.

"A big part of my role will be leveraging my network to build bridges, connect the brand with players and help those players develop through their partnership with Reebok," O'Neal said.

It should be noted that Shaquille O'Neal joined the Authentic Brands Group in 2015. He still has a strong business partnership with the company that manages the estates of pop culture icons like Muhammad Ali and Elvis Presley.

---

---

Why did Shaquille O'Neal leave Reebok in 1998?

Shaquille O'Neal is Reebok's president of basketball. (Photo: Reebok)

Shaquille O'Neal was about to sign a five-year, $40 million extension with Reebok in 1998. The popularity of his signature shoes like "Shaq Attaq" and "Shaqnosis" meant that Shaq would have made a lot of money on top of his new contract.

However, O'Neal abruptly cut ties with the company after getting confronted by a woman who could not buy his shoes for his kids. The LA Lakers legend told the story on the "Full Send" podcast two years ago.

"One day, this lady, she's ripping me into half. 'You motherf***ers! You're charging these babies all this money for these shoes.' So, I had like $2,000 in my pocket and I was like, 'Ma'am, I don't make the prices. Here you go.'

"And, she smacked the money in my hand, 'Why don't you motherf***ers make a shoe that's affordable?' And I thought about it, and I was like, 'You know what? She's right.' So, that day, I cut ties with Reebok."

---