Shaquille O’Neal seemingly claps back at Devin Booker’s sneaker shade
Phoenix Suns superstar shooting guard Devin Booker recently called out NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, citing his signature “Shaq” shoes’ lack of popularity. On Sunday, O’Neal seemingly clapped back at Booker after his newest Suns teammate was reportedly spotted donning a pair of Shaqs.
Booker and O’Neal’s feud began in January when Complex Sneakers asked fans on Instagram if Nike was “fumbling the launch” of the “Nike Book 1s.” The outlet cited the “lukewarm reaction” to Booker’s first signature shoe model’s marketing and design.
Booker commented on the post, seemingly acknowledging his disappointment, saying, “A lot of people feel the same way.” After the 27-year-old’s comment, O’Neal, Reebok’s president, extended him an offer to ditch Nike and join his company.
“Hey @dbook, I know y'all aren't happy with the sneaker launch. You should come with @reebok. We’re just getting started. Hit me,” O’Neal said on IG.
Booker, who Nike has endorsed since he was drafted in 2015 and is under contract with the company until 2029, didn’t respond.
During an appearance on Complex’s “Sneaker Shopping” earlier this month, O’Neal clarified his initial offer to Booker, noting that he wasn’t “recruiting” him. According to the big man, he and fellow NBA legend-turned-Reebok vice president Allen Iverson wanted to provide Booker with an alternative option.
“It was just everybody was bashing his shoe and we were like, ‘If you want a good shoe, holla at me and A.I.,’” O’Neal said. “I wasn't trying to be funny, like we don't do crazy things.”
While Booker ignored the four-time NBA champion’s initial offer, he responded to his follow-up comments. The four-time All-Star shared Nice Kicks’ IG post featuring O’Neal’s quote to his IG stories, taking a shot at the big man’s signature Shaq shoes.
“AI ‘Question’ was cool, but nobody [is] wearing no damn Shaqs,” Booker said.
O’Neal subsequently fired back on IG, highlighting how he’s sold considerably more pairs of shoes than Booker.
“Shaq shoes sell way more than them D-Books, and I was talking about @reebok, but if u wanna be one of a thousand, be my guest. Shaq [has] 450 million pairs sold. Google me,” O’Neal said.
That appeared to be the end of their dispute. However, it was re-ignited on Sunday after newly signed Suns veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas was reportedly seen rocking a pair of Shaqs.
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Shaquille O’Neal takes note of Isaiah Thomas reportedly wearing his signature shoes following Devin Booker’s diss
On Sunday, Fresh Pair PH shared an Instagram post highlighting how Devin Booker was mistaken about nobody wearing Shaquille O’Neal’s signature shoes. The outlet noted that Booker was proven wrong by Phoenix’s 10-day contract signee Isaiah Thomas.
O’Neal wasted no time sharing the post to his IG stories but didn’t provide any caption.
It remains to be seen if Booker responds to O’Neal’s latest story. Nevertheless, based on their responses thus far, it appears that both take their signature shoes very seriously.
Also Read: Devin Booker labels 's**t talking' as 'art' and deems rivalries are beneficial for NBA