Allen Iverson offers humble response to Odell Beckham Jr's cleat tribute: "Crazy!!"
Allen Iverson signed with Reebok a year before his rookie season in the NBA and was named the company's vice president of basketball in October last year. Honoring his legacy was none other than Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
In Saturday's playoff game between the Ravens and Houston Texans, Beckham wore the customized version of “Reebok Answer IV,” a signature shoe of Iverson with the footwear giant. The NFL star had customized Answer IV into football cleats, which he wore as the Ravens won 34-10.
Iverson was touched by the gesture from the superstar player and made sure to let OBJ know he appreciated it. The NBA legend’s acknowledgment aligned with his humble and quiet personality.
In an Instagram post, Iverson put up pictures of Beckham in the inspired cleats and captioned it:
“Crazy!! What an honor OBJ.”
Answer IV was launched in 2000, and it is the same shoe that Iverson won in his MVP season in 2001. He and the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the LA Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals.
The Shoe Surgeon, who is credited with customizing the shoes of many NFL superstar players, was behind the customization of Allen Iverson’s Answer IV.
Beckham and Nike had a sudden breakup in November 2022, which also resulted in the matter going to court. The matter has not been resolved, and Beckham is currently a footwear free agent. Shaquille O’Neal recently took the opportunity to lure Beckham into joining Reebok.
Reebok released the newest version of "Answer IV," the “Red Stepover," in December 2023. The kicks are available on Reebok's official site and in-store for $170.
After featuring in Allen Iverson’s signature shoe, Shaq pitches Reebok to OBJ
NBA great Shaquille O’Neal has an unmistakable acumen for business. After finding out that Odell Beckham was wearing customized Allen Iverson’s signature “Answer IV,” Shaq instantly tried to recruit the Ravens wide receiver to Reebok.
In an Instagram post, Shaq put up a picture of OBJ wearing the cleats version of Allen Iverson’s Reebok sneakers. Posting the picture on his social media handle, Shaq captioned it:
“OBJ come on over nephew to Reebok we got you.”
This is not the only time Shaq has tried to lure a superstar player in the U.S. to Reebok. Apart from OBJ, Shaq tried to convince Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker to sign with the company after Booker seemed upset with the launch of his first signature shoe with Nike. It looks like Shaq is ready to pull the trigger and take stars from the Nike camp.
There is no telling if OBJ will eventually sign with Reebok. However, considering the NFL star’s legal battle with Nike, it is also not impossible. On the other hand, Booker already has a deal with Nike, and it is highly unlikely that he will leave the brand for Reebok.