"Nobody is leaving Nike for Reebok": Shaquille O'Neal's pitch to Devin Booker sends NBA Twitter spinning
Shaquille O'Neal recently became the President of Basketball for Reebok and sent an invitation to Devin Booker to sign with the brand. After Booker responded to a comment that Nike fumbled when they released his signature shoe, “Nike Book 1,” Shaq wasted no time in pitching his deal to the Phoenix Suns star.
Shaq took to his Instagram and posted a picture of Booker and himself side-by-side, posing in the same style with their signature shoes. Alluding to Booker’s dissatisfaction with his sneaker launch, Shaq asked Booker to contact him.
When NiceKicks posted an update about Shaq trying to recruit Book to Reebok, NBA fans on X/Twitter had some hilarious reactions.
Alluding to the stature of Nike and its worth, one of the fans wrote:
"Nobody is leaving Nike for Reebok."
Another fan alluded to the same and called Reebok a poverty brand:
“Reebok is a poverty shoe. Hard pass.”
Here are some more comments from fans on X.
Shaquille O'Neal is a certified master when it comes to business. Since he has taken over the new role in the business of Reebok, he has lured many male and female athletes to sign with the brand.
Though the sports brand appears to have fallen on hard times over the past few years, there is new hope that Shaq and Allen Iverson might turn things around for Reebok.
Why did Shaquille O'Neal try to pursue Devin Booker for Reebok?
Shaquille O'Neal doesn't shy away from speaking his mind and pursuing what he wants. He tried to lure Booker to sign with Reebok after Booker seemed dissatisfied with the way his first signature shoe with Nike was launched.
The Nike Book 1 was first introduced by singer Drake during a concert in Arizona. However, even after that, Booker chose to wear Converse shoes on the Phoenix Suns Media Day.
Nike later launched the shoe at UNKNWN during Art Basel Miami in December. The shoe was released only in 500 pairs. Even Booker has been wearing some of the player-exclusive shoes from the brand.
There have been heavy criticisms from fans about the exclusive launch of the shoe and there has been no update on when it will released to the public. In a recent post on Instagram, when a user commented about the marketing, the Suns player commented:
"A lot of people feel the same way.”
Regardless of the launch, it is highly unlikely that he will switch from Nike to Reebok. Shaquille O'Neal is certainly seeking superstars for Reebok and it will be interesting to see who he lands.