Shaquille O Neal
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Source: Reebok / Reebok
Last year, Reebok made some big waves when they announced that Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson were tapped to be the president and vice president of its basketball division, and though some might have thought this was just another source of income for Shaq Diesel, the NBA legend is taking his new role very seriously.
In an interview with the New York Times, Shaquille O’Neal spoke about his new role at Reebok and made it very clear that he plans on making Reebok as popular a brand as Nike and adidas is out on these streets. With Reebok being the place where his signature line resided during his rookie and prime years in the NBA, it’s only right that the brand would tap their biggest star to run their basketball scene for the foreseeable future; Shaq seems more than up to the task.
During a brand summit for their business partners this past March, Shaquille O’Neal appeared next to Reebok’s chief executive, Todd Krinsky, and he let everyone in attendance know that he intends on making the sports brand a powerhouse once again if it’s the last thing he does.
The New York Time reports:
“Listen, we’re getting back into basketball,” Mr. O’Neal said. “And I want everyone in here to understand there are no excuses. Everyone needs to be 100 percent in on this, because I’m 100 percent in on this.”
He then doubled down on his personal commitment: “I’m not doing this because this is a hobby. I’m doing this because we have a rightful place in basketball.”
Knowing that he and the brand have a lot riding on the line, the NBA Hall of Famer bluntly stated, “If this doesn’t work, everyone’s leaving…Everyone’s going to get gone, including me.”
While Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Shawn Kemp had some classic Reebok sneakers back in the day, it will be interesting to see how Shaq plans on returning the OG sports brand to glory. One step in the right direction would be to retro not only those particular silhouettes (which they have already) but also bring back the S. Carter’s that Jay-Z collaborated with Reebok on and the G-Unit sneakers that 50 Cent released in the early 2000s.
We’ll have to wait and see if any of those plans pan out, but the fact that Shaq and AI are considering it shows that they’re committed to making Reebok popular again.
How do you think Shaq can make Reebok a sneaker powerhouse again? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Reebok / Reebok
This new crop of sneakerheads may not know it, but the Jay-Z and G-Unit Reebok sneakers were big back in the early 2000s. It looks like we might get to see them hit shelves again if Shaq and A.I. have anything to say about it.
In a recent episode of Sneaker Shopping With Complex, the President and VP of Reebok’s basketball division, Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson gave us older Hip-Hop heads a ray of hope when they suggested they’d be willing to retro Jay-Z’s “S. Dot” silhouettes and 50 Cent’s “G-Unit” sneakers. After Joe La Puma brought up the topic of Jay-Z pulling out a pair of S. Dot’s for his outfit at the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, Shaquille chimed in saying, “We know Jay-Z. Jay-Z if you watchin’ we wanna holla at cha. ” To which Iverson added, “That’s right,” suggesting that a business offer for a retro of the classic S. Dot’s might be on the table.
Looking to make another retro possibly happen, La Puma then asked if it was possible that the “G-Unit” sneakers could also see a return to shelves with Shaq saying, “Of course, so 50, when I call you, holla, Jay-Z, we’ll be calling ya. We definitely want to give the fans and the consumer what they want, but we’re also gonna be coming with new styles and new technologies. But, shout out to Jay-Z, shout out to 50 Cent. We definitely will be having a conversation with them very soon.”
Real talk, this needs to happen.
As to whether or not Jay and 50 would be willing to have Reebok retro their classic sneakers remains to be seen, but if they do, don’t be surprised if everyone you see rocking the S. Dot’s or G-Unit sneakers are over the age of 30 and 40. Just sayin’.
Check out Shaq and A.I. talk about the S. Dot’s and G-Unit sneakers below around the 7-minute mark, and let us know if you’d cop any of those kicks in the comments section.
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Source: Julio Aguilar / Getty
Hip-Hop in this new generation isn’t exactly known for being a music genre filled with lyricist loungers like it once was in its heyday. While it still continues to strive regardless of the alleged lack of skill or content, older heads still feel a ways about how far its fallen off in regards to lyricism and rhyme schemes.
Recently T.I. touched on the subject while sitting down with Shaquille O’Neal for his podcast, The Big Podcast With Shaq and when the subject came to this new generation of rappers in the Hip-Hop game, Tip came up with a metaphor that Shaquille could relate to.
“This generation reminds me of every other generation. You got some people who are exceptionally dope, and some people who are just alright, na’mean? But it’s a lot more of it to choose from now… I feel that, actually, what they’ve done with music is equivalent to if they were to open up the doors of the arena and say, ‘Anybody think you can play basketball, come on in! Come on out the stands out here to the floor. Here go you a jersey, man. Get in the game.’”
Shaq chimed in saying he doesn’t like that this new crop of rappers (and NBA players) “don’t respect” the OG’s of the game that “paved the way for them.”
Continuing to elaborate on how the game’s changed in this new digital era, T.I. went on to break down how not having to go through labels and retailers affected how this generation goes about their business.
“The thing that happened is, there was what we call a paradigm shift in the industry. It went to a direct to consumer industry. Which means you don’t need a distributor. You don’t have to go through Best Buy or Target or Blockbuster if you that old. You ain’t gotta do that. You can go straight to the consumer. And the consumer more than likely wants to hear something that reminds them of themselves. Sometimes, too much talent intimidates the consumer because ‘I can’t achieve this!… I’d rather hear something that sounds like me or my friends.”
That’s an interesting take. Don’t be surprised if youngn’s take to social media and dunk on these men for being old and out of touch with the game or something. They might even bring up some of their old dirt just because. Social media’s a cold place, b.
Check out the interview below and let us know if you think T.I. is onto something in the comments section.
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Source: Reebok / Reebok
Looks like Reebok has decided to give Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson a little something-something for their decades of loyalty. The athletic footwear brand has just named Shaq president of their basketball division and A.I. as vice president.
Reebok announced the move to elevate the two NBA icons to executive level businessmen Thursday (Oct. 12) and truth be told, we couldn’t be happier with the decision. Given Shaq and Iverson’s history with the company, they deserve to get the roles they’ve been blessed with. And we hope that it only helps the brand grow in popularity amongst both NBA players and everyday sneakerheads who live for Nike and Yeezys. (Yes, Yeezy’s are still popular out on these streets regardless of Kanye’s erratic antics.)
“We are thrilled to be expanding upon our partnership with Shaquille with this historic appointment,” said Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky in a statement. “With the combination of his deep-rooted history with Reebok and 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.”
Shaq has been riding for Reebok ever since he linked up with the brand back during his rookie season in 1992. The Big Aristotle’s job description includes leading Reebok’s back to a being “dominant force” in the sneaker and apparel space and sport.
“We’re back, baby! Get ready,” said Shaq about his new gig in a statement. As for Iverson, he’s tasked with driving “player recruitment, grassroots and community-based initiatives, and athlete activations like the Iverson Classic,” per Reebok.
We. Love. It.
Now that Shaq and “The Answer” are going to be the driving force behind Reebok’s NBA division, don’t be surprised if you see more players in the NBA rocking some “Shaqnosis” or “Question Mids” in different colorways out on the hardwood floor this season or next.
What do y’all think about Reebok’s move to promote Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson to executive level personnel? Let us know in the comments section below.
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