LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson as soon as clashed on the courtroom within the 2001 NBA Finals, however now the basketball legends are becoming a member of forces to revive the Reebok model they helped make iconic.
Within the Netflix docuseries, “Power Moves,” which premiered this week, the Corridor of Famers swap jerseys for govt titles, with O’Neal stepping in as president of Reebok Basketball whereas Iverson takes on the function as vp. The six-episode collection gives a behind-the-scenes have a look at their mission to spark a cultural resurgence for the traditional sneaker firm.
O’Neal, standing 7-foot-1, sees himself as a voice for in the present day’s huge males. However on the subject of reaching the short, gritty guards of this era, he is aware of there’s no higher ambassador than the 6-foot Iverson, whose ’90s signature sneakers are nonetheless a staple in sneakerhead circles.
“I didn’t build Reebok all by myself,” stated O’Neal, who received three straight NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and one other with the Miami Warmth. He signed with Reebok in 1992 and made the model standard along with his first signature shoe, known as the Shaq Attaq.
Iverson’s signature sneakers, The Query and The Reply, have been a few of the prime sellers within the business. He signed a lifetime endorsement and advertising and marketing contract with Reebok in 2001.
“I needed A.I. to be vice president because if you’re a guard, you want to see a legendary guard,” he stated. “I wished to do a present that’s not scripted. Not polished. I wished it to be actual work.”
Iverson known as documenting his function in serving to revitalize Reebok a “full circle moment” while working alongside O’Neal, who he calls “big bro.”
“I get the honor of doing this with (Shaq), having a relationship with him,” stated Iverson, the previous Philadelphia 76ers guard, who was an 11-time All-Star and received the league’s MVP in 2001 — the identical yr O’Neal and Iverson confronted off within the NBA Finals. Iverson was identified for being an undersized guard who performed with a supersized coronary heart.
“The type of things I learn from him — on and off the court. He’s just a beautiful guy,” Iverson said about O’Neal. “He stands up to his faults. The things that he felt he did wrong in life. The way he treats his mom. All that resembles who I am. That makes this special.”
Reebok, based in 1895, turned a family identify within the early Nineteen Nineties, because of Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown and his iconic Pump sneakers. The model took off from there inking main offers with O’Neal and Iverson, partnering with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and even getting into hip-hop with signature traces for Jay-Z and 50 Cent’s G-Unit.
However Reebok’s cultural momentum started to fade after Nike doubled down on star energy with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Adidas purchased the corporate for $3.8 billion in 2006, aiming to raised compete with Nike on a world scale.
As a substitute, Reebok struggled to seek out its footing, step by step shedding its identification in each sports activities and elegance.
“Now it is time for us to get Reebok again to prominence,” said O’Neal, who played a key role in Reebok’s acquisition in 2021 by Authentic Brands Group, where he is a shareholder. “There’s all these competitive brands, which is fine. It makes the job harder. But for me, it’s all about motivation and trying to build.”
“Power Moves” dives into Reebok’s technique for staying related, together with signing rising stars like WNBA phenom Angel Reese to the model’s first identify, picture and likeness (NIL) deal. The collection additionally exhibits how O’Neal leans on a shocking supply for perception into in the present day’s athletes by way of his son, Shareef.
Shaq was initially set on creating high-top sneakers, till a go to to an enormous Novice Athletic Union match — with practically 70 courts — sparked a shift. Shareef pulled his dad apart and defined that low tops are the go-to for this era. It was a lightbulb second that helped Shaq higher perceive and join with fashionable gamers.
“I had to realize that my way is not always the right way,” Shaq stated. “Sometimes, the best way to be an effective leader is listening to the ones who are really in the trenches.”
Iverson believes he and Shaq may help Reebok bounce again by paying ahead the identical help and alternative the model as soon as gave them.
“We’re going to show our love to the brand that showed us love,” he stated. “We’re putting our efforts into what they did in my life. Reebok took care of my family, my friends, me. It was a power move. We’re here to bring it back.”
