In the 1990s, Reebok was a symbol of greatness in basketball, competing head-to-head with Nike thanks to legendary models such as the “Pump” and the “Question,” and backed by figures such as Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson. However, times changed, and the brand fell into oblivion for new generations.
Today, under the leadership of O’Neal as President of Basketball Operations, Reebok is attempting to regain its place. But the challenge was brutally exposed in an anecdote Shaq recently shared: while attending a youth tournament to watch talent, he approached a young player and asked if he liked Reebok. The answer was as devastating as it was symbolic: “What’s Reebok?”
For O’Neal, that question was not only a slap in the face to his ego; it was a reminder that an entire generation grew up without having Reebok on their radar. The comment encapsulated in a nutshell the real challenge: it was not about winning back fans, but about educating and building relevance from scratch.
Far from giving up, Shaq leaned on old allies like Allen Iverson and bet on new stars. Angel Reese, a rising WNBA figure, became one of Reebok’s strategic signings. With her “Pretty Gritty” Engine A line, Reese embodies the bridge between the brand’s legacy and the future it is trying to conquer.
Joining him are Matas Buzelis, a first-round pick by the Chicago Bulls, and Nate Ament, one of the most coveted high school recruits, in a move that looks to position Reebok among the young people who dominate the sport today.
In order to give media strength to the relaunch, O’Neal and Iverson star in “Power Moves,” a Netflix docuseries that documents their attempt to rebuild the brand from the ground up, adapting to a radically different market than the one they knew.
Facing oblivion is perhaps Reebok’s biggest rival, but with a team that combines experience, youth and ambition, the brand dreams of writing its name in basketball history once again.
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