Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson Named President, Vice President Of Basketball For Reebok

Legends of the NBA have now gained control of one of the most popular sneaker brands of all time.

Shaquille O’Neal was named Reebok’s first president of basketball, while Allen Iverson has been named the vice president, Reebok announced on Thursday, according to CBS.

The two acquisitions are an attempt for Reebok to “reenter professional performance," the company said in a statement on USA Today.

“We are thrilled to be expanding upon our partnership with Shaquille with this historic appointment,” Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said. “With the combination of his deep-rooted history with Reebok and reigning influence he’s made on the game, there is no one better than his guy to take the helm and lead our brand back to reclaiming its rightful place and dominance in basketball.”

This isn’t anything new for Shaq. He’s been Reebok’s partner for decades, as he signed with the company ahead of his rookie season back in 1992, which was the company’s biggest endorsement deal ever.

The four-time world champion and hall-of-famer will lead Reebok’s basketball strategy while “cultivating partnerships” with squads and athletes to assist the brand in picking up new relevance and dominance in the professional sport, as well as new brand deals with players currently in the league, the release said.

“We’re back, baby! Get ready,” O’Neal said in a statement. But it is unclear how involved O’Neal, who a full-time host on TNT’s “Inside the NBA”, will be, and Iverson is the brand ambassador for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Still, Iverson, who is also a longtime partner with Reebok, is “expected to drive player recruitment, grassroots and community-based initiatives, and athlete activations like the Iverson Classic.”

O’Neal is considered one of the most dominant centers in the history of the NBA thanks to relentless scoring and brute force moves in the paint. He won three championships with the Lakes and one with the Miami Heat. He was named the Most Valuable Player in 2000.

Iverson was an MVP in 2001 and led the Sixers to the NBA Finals in the same year, ironically playing O’Neal in the series. He too is a hall-of-famer thanks to his scoring prowess and crossover ability.

Now the two have set aside their differences and will team up in Reebok management.