During his 19-year NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, player the game had ever seen. He helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three straight world championships from 2000 to 2002, and his 1999-2000 MVP campaign was arguably the greatest individual season anyone has ever had in league history when taking eras and different styles of play into account.
O’Neal was also one of the biggest cultural phenomenons in sports history with his swaggering but lovable personality. He helped make Reebok a player in the basketball sneaker industry, even though it has always been well behind Nike in that category.
Even a decade after calling it quits, the Hall of Fame center is still a very visible figure, as he has gotten involved in numerous business ventures. He has now been named the President of Basketball by Reebok, as it reportedly looks to make new inroads in basketball.
Via Boardroom:
“We just want to do things differently,” O’Neal told Boardroom. “That’s what we were best known for back then and what we want to stay true to now. … A big part of my role will be leveraging my network to build bridges, connect the brand with players, and help those players develop through their partnership with Reebok.”
Interestingly, the sneaker and apparel company also named Allen Iverson as its Vice President of Basketball. Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers took on O’Neal’s Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals, and although they lost in five games, three of those games were very competitive thanks to Iverson’s never-say-quit ethos.