In his role as the president of Reebok’s newly established basketball division, Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal has already made a move. He has endorsed fellow LSU basketball star player Angel Reese for a multi-year sponsorship deal.
The announcement on Oct. 17 revealed that the up-and-coming Tiger will actively promote a signature selection of Rebook shoes known as “Angel’s Picks” and will also contribute to the design of her own collection, reported USA Today.
As Finurah previously reported, Reebok is shifting its focus towards performance basketball. The company appointed two NBA Hall of Famers and former Rookies of the Year to key positions. Shaq, with an estimated net worth of $400 million, now serves as the president, while Allen Iverson is his vice president.
Shaq has a monetary tie to Reebok as Reebok was acquired by Authentic Brands Group in 2021. O’Neal is a shareholder in Authentic.
Calling on Angel
“There is no one making a bigger impact on the game right now than Angel Reese,” Shaq said about the deal.
Finurah has also covered NIL rankings, which project annual earnings for student-athletes ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, and professional athletes earning between $50,000 and $400,000 for the same group usage licenses, as reported by AthleticDirectorU.
Since her championship win on April 2, Reese’s NIL value has soared to approximately $1.3 million, thanks to her impressive following of over 2 million on social media.
Her online notoriety also surged in college sports discussions, not solely due to her outstanding on-court achievements, but also because of her high-confidence personality. She secured the 2023 NCAA championship by beating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the title game.
In the process, she declined an invitation to the White House, citing feelings of disrespect when Jill Biden, the first lady and wife of President Joe Biden, made an off-the-cuff remark that both LSU and Iowa deserved invitations to the White House.
Reese has since matured and adopted a more media-friendly approach, but her initial impact on the masses established her as the charismatic Black female athlete embraced by the internet.
“It means the world to me that they trust in me to extend their legacy to a new generation,” Reese said. “Together, we have a great opportunity to do things differently, to inspire people to explore, and express themselves unapologetically and to show them how to look and feel good while doing it.”
