Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark (L), Shaquille O’Neal (R). Credits: Imagn Images
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is never one to shy away from a challenge. Her first WNBA game against rival Caitlin Clark was the very definition of that. Many people had their eyes on that matchup, including Shaquille O’Neal. He expressed a great amount of confidence in Reese’s ability to perform at an elite level. He put forth $230,000 for her to reach a certain number of objectives in the game, which Reese agreed upon.
Although O’Neal is a big fan of Reese’s game, he doesn’t just have a fan/player relationship with the WNBA star. Shaq is the president of Reebok Basketball and recruited Reese as the face of the company. That game against Clark served as a pivotal moment in the brand’s return to basketball glory.
Reebok had plans to debut Reese’s signature Engine A shoe in the Sky’s first game against the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA season. Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup, the company held a dinner with Reese to speak about the magnitude of the moment.
“I think NBA players are going to wear the shoe that you debut,” Todd Krinsky, the CEO of Reebok, said on Netflix’s Power Moves.
Historically, signature shoes have been difficult to obtain for professional athletes. Times have changed since then, though, and even role players have their signature shoes. Despite the trend, Reebok doesn’t view Reese as just another player. O’Neal followed up on Krinsky’s comments to inform Reese about how the company views her.
“You’re the one,” O’Neal said. “There’s nobody bigger than you at Reebok.” Shaq doesn’t just speak loosely, his words hold meaning. O’Neal put his money where his mouth is. “If you get 30 points, I’ll give you $30,000.”
Reese couldn’t believe the offer, but O’Neal had more to say. “If you get a dunk, I’ll give you $200,000.”
Despite O’Neal’s bets, Reese’s priorities remained on winning the game. Unfortunately, she couldn’t succeed in either. The Sky fell to the Fever by a score of 100-81. Reese finished with just 10 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.
Nonetheless, O’Neal and Reebok’s faith in the Sky star remains incredibly high. Nearly an entire year later, the company is ready to finally release Reese’s debut sneaker.
Engine A will release on Wednesday, June 4, and will be the first performance basketball shoe from Reebok in over a decade. Angel Reese is the face of the company, much like Shaq was during his dominant run in the NBA, and they will hope that the former LSU Tiger can set the tone for them going forward.
