Angel Reese is in high demand.
The WNBA player, who is signed to Reebok under a multi-year endorsement deal as of October 2023, shares that she had the option to sign with other shoe brands such as Nike, a familiar pattern among various greats, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Serena Williams, and Kevin Durant.
“I wanted be a priority ’cause I could have signed easily with Nike,” Reese says in a resurfaced video shared on X, formerly Twitter. “I could assign easily with Jordan. But like everybody doing that. I don’t like doing what everybody do. I like to do the complete opposite. I’m bringing Reebok back.”
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Reese’s signing with Reebok was the company’s first major Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. In her post, Reese shares that it will open doors for her own signature shoe to be released in the near future. She also credits her relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, who serves as Reebok’s president of basketball, as another deciding factor.
“Shoe companies wanted to work with me, but I chose Rebook,” Reese explained in the video clip. “What was it about Reebok? One, they didn’t have a woman, a women’s basketball player, a face. So I wanted to do that. Two, Shaq, you know, my relationship with Shaq, and three, I like how they were rebranding everything, and they’re like letting me be the creator behind like everything I want to do. So like I’m having my own shoe line coming out, merch, my name on it that y’all can be able to shop… Y’all like what I wear, y’all like how I dress? Y’all like my style. So like I wanted to incorporate that into Reebok. I want people wearing my shoes. I’m gonna have shoes probably in a couple years, my own shoe, maybe in like two years once I’m in the league.”
🤔✔️ WHY ANGELA REESE DID NOT PICK NIKE? Angel Reese says she's bringing back Reebok. She also mentioned that Reebok didn't have a woman basketball player as a face, so she wanted to be that.👨🏽🍳👁️🦇 pic.twitter.com/l4Nq0ZQuke
— D.A.K. (@dadeasskickz) May 3, 2024