In 1992, a young Shaquille O’Neal attacked the NBA.
He entered the league as the top prospect and he showed he was worthy of the title.
He was dominant. That’s all. He was just dominant.
Shaq was dunking on everyone and everything any time he felt like it.
But not all of his dunks were created equal as the most notable dunk in his rookie season was definitely in the second-last game of the 1992-93 season.
It was April 23, 1993. The Orlando Magic visited the New Jersey Nets and the game was delayed in the first quarter because Shaq, who was ironically wearing the Shaq Attaq 1, broke the backboard.
And when I say broke, I mean he broke that damn thing.
The entire structure holding up the backboard broke in half. The backboard, along with the shot clock, collapsed and shattered on the hardwood.
Good thing everyone involved in that play moved away in time or there could’ve been major injuries.
Anyway, a few years later, Shaq moved on to a different team -the Los Angeles Lakers- and was on his way to winning his second NBA Championship title and attaining his second Finals MVP trophy.
But before he got to the celebrating, he hit a road bump in the form of Allen Iverson.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Iverson had just been named the NBA MVP and made it a priority in this contest to hand the Lakers their first postseason loss.
And on his way to doing so, he completed one of the most disrespectful plays in NBA history.
In overtime, Iverson dropped Ty Lue as he razzled dazzled his way to freeing himself from the defender’s cusp, and after sinking the shot, stepped over Lue as he ran back on defence.
Iverson -ironically wearing the Answer 4- and the 76ers completed their assignment for the day as the team beat the Lakers 107-101.
So, what’s the significance of these stories?
Well, it’s because Shaq and Iverson are linking up to revitalize Reebok’s basketball line.
Shaq will serve as the basketball department’s first president while Iverson will serve as vice president.
"We are thrilled to be expanding upon our partnership with Shaquille with this historic appointment," said Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky. "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 this guy to take the helm and lead our brand back to reclaiming its rightful place and dominance in basketball.”
Additionally, O’Neal says, one of their major roles will be to recruit players and build partnerships with them.
Via Boardroom:
“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.”
Final Thoughts
Reeboks were pretty popular back in the '90s.
I mean, two of the most electrifying players had signatures with the company.
However, as time went by, Nike and Adidas trumped the brand and players stopped signing with them.
But now that O’Neal and Iverson are giving Reebok the stamp of approval again, they’ll have more acceptance.
So, who do you think Reebok, who has had many players on their roster, such as Shawn Kemp, John Wall, and Montrezl Harrell, can sign?
Additionally, do you think Shaq and AI can revamp the brand?