Shaq continues to make big moves in his new gig as President of Basketball Operations for Reebok, the sports apparel company that gave him his first shoe deal when he joined the Orlando Magic after graduating from LSU all those years ago.
O’Neal took the job just about a year ago, and since then, he’s been working hard to bring Reebok back to prominence in sportswear. One of his first moves was to bring on an old friend and fellow NBA superstar – Allan Iverson – to the company. He’s also signed WNBA superstar Angel Reese to the company. She’s working on her own Reebok-branded clothing line.
Now Shaq has announced his next big name to add to the Reebok brand. This one is a bit under the radar, but a name we’ll all probably know in the next year or so. Just this week, O’Neal announced the signing of 5-star high school phenom Nate Ament to a multi-year endorsement deal. Ament is playing high school hoops for Highland High in Warrenton, Virginia.
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
In a press release, Shaq said, “I’m so excited to welcome Nate into the Reebok family. He’s a great kid who comes from an amazing family and he’s got superstar potential on the court. We know he’s going to do big things and we’ll be right there with him. “
As part of the multi-year partnership, Ament will support Reebok brand “activations” and will help bring awareness to the brand’s performance and lifestyle product offerings, including its newly announced performance basketball shoe, the “Engine A.” (Side note: We have no idea what an “activation” is, but it sounds cool…)
As for Ament, he’s excited about the deal. “Reebok has everything I need as a young basketball player to take my game to the next level,” commented Ament. “Shaq and A.I. – all my dreams have been lived out by these legends, so to have them as a resource is exciting. I’m just amped to see what we can do together with all the possibilities ahead.”
In his press release, O’Neal talked about more big deals coming for his new Reebok efforts. For Shaq, this is kind of a “full circle’ moment in business. He’s said in the past that there’s “unfinished business (for him) at Reebok.” It was Reebok that sold his “Shaq Attaq” line of shoes, and those were wildly popular for the company.
It’s interesting to note that Shaq – through Reebok – is reaching out to high school stars these days. Finding young talent and bringing it into the world of Reebok. Time will tell if this particular young man makes a mark in the NBA, but he’s already got a bright future – money-wise – with this new deal.