Shaquille O’Neal is gearing up for the discharge of his upcoming Netflix docuseries “Energy Strikes With Shaquille O’Neal.” Within the collection, O’Neal and Allen Iverson, who’re each longtime collaborators of the model, staff as much as try and revive Reebok Basketball’s legacy and discover a rising star to rep the model.
Forward of the discharge, O’Neal, who’s the president of Reebok Basketball, is making the TV rounds to speak concerning the present, which provides a candid, behind-the-scenes look as they try and make the corporate related once more the basketball world. He appeared on the “As we speak” on Friday and shared why he determined to get onboard with the reinvention.
“I’ve at all times stated Reebok was by no means primary however by no means quantity three. I bear in mind after I signed with Reebok it was an rising firm then we signed Allen Iverson and Shawn Kemp and we have been at all times within the fold. Then Adidas bought Reebok after which it sort of went away,” the previous NBA star shared.
“When it got here again up on the market my companion, Jamie Salter, he bought it. For me, it’s only a problem to carry [Reebok] again with some kind of prominence. Again then we didn’t have as a lot competitors as we have now now, so there’s quite a lot of competitors and it’s simply enjoyable, I needed to study quite a bit.”
A part of that studying course of has been adjusting to developments within the sneaker world in addition to the basketball world. Fortunately, Shaq has stored his kids, particularly his eldest son Shareef O’Neal, near information him and hold him within the find out about what’s scorching and trending for the youthful generations, and in addition what’s not in style.
“My mom says my best attribute is that I pay attention. First day I went in, I used to be like, ‘Oh, we’re going to do all varieties of new high-tops!’” he shared. “My son needed to let me know that Gen Z doesn’t do high-tops anymore and I didn’t know that. I’m studying quite a bit, I’m having an excellent time. Once more, we simply need to carry them again to some kind of prominence.”
Throughout an look on “The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the basketball star confirmed off a pair of the model’s new Engine A basketball sneakers and opened up once more about how his son has helped him on this course of.
“These children put on vibrant colours now, their colours don’t alway shave to match their uniforms, they don’t put on high-tops. Being that I had that attribute (to pay attention), I feel it helped me emerge with the staff and we have been capable of come out with the shoe and it’s doing very nicely. We signed Angel Reese, we signed a few different gamers and I set to work with my oldest son Shareef. He’s just like the portal to those children, as a result of you realize these children are loopy.”
Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson star in “Energy Strikes,” the documentary on the relaunch of Reebok Basketball.
Courtesy of Netflix
Each O’Neal and Iverson have been signed to Reebok as gamers after they have been within the NBA, and have been named president and vp, respectively, of Reebok Basketball in October 2023. Iverson signed a lifetime cope with Reebok in 2001 following his preliminary five-year contract with the model. Reebok signed O’Neal forward of his rookie season in 1992. In 1998, O’Neal ended his preliminary cope with Reebok and created his personal line of extra inexpensive sneakers. Greater than 20 years later, he’d rejoin the corporate to steer its complete basketball division.
Reebok partnered with Angel Reese earlier than her final season with the LSU Tigers within the fall of 2023. She grew to become the model’s first main NIL signing and the primary signing below O’Neal.
The primary episode of “Energy Strikes” arrives on Netlfix on June 4.
