A personal pitch from Shaquille O’Neal himself wasn’t enough to land Angel Reese, who put the lucrative Reebok offer on hold for a reason that had nothing to do with money. After all, it isn’t a recurring incident that Reebok Basketball President the “Diesel” Shaq pitches a player to join the brand. But for Reese, none of it mattered as she kept both the pitch and the offer in the backseat.

Speaking on Michelle Obama’s IMP podcast, Reese revealed that Shaq pitched her to join Reebok even before she won the NCAA title in her junior year. But she wanted to halt it until she won something in her career.

“His (Shaq’s) daughter was in the recruitment process of trying to come to LSU, and he asked me one day what it would take for you to come to Reebok,” Reese said. “And I’m like, I am not really interested in signing a shoe, like this was before I won the Championship. So people knew who I was, and I got a following. But I hadn’t done much.”

“I wanted to win first because I didn’t want it to look like I just based off my name… So when I finally won the Championship, and we were still in talks and connections, and he was like anything that you ever need, like I’ll make sure I’ll get it for you,” she added. “Shaq told me you could be the face of Reebok. I didn’t believe him at first because I know how women how can be perceived and I know how it could be for a woman trying to get into an industry. But I trust them, and I signed with Reebok.”

Reese signed with the brand approximately six months after she won the National Championships title with LSU. This title was the factor that gave her a winning mentality, which she then leveraged to sign with the shoe brand. Of course, it wasn’t ChiBarbie’s only choice. She revealed during the conversation that multiple shoe brands had approached her.

And it’s not surprising. Reese clinched a mammoth win over her eternal rival, Caitlin Clark and her Iowa team in the Championship game, and courtesy of it, her name echoed in the headlines and her stocks were bound to go higher. But despite this advantageous and lucrative position, Reese had her priorities clear to sign with Reebok.

“I will go where I am prioritized and to be prioritized as a woman and a black woman in helping a brand and regenerate where it was,” Reese said. “That was something important to me.” Of course, Shaq and Reebok also deserve commendation for their long-term vision and faith in Reese, signing her when she was still in college, which speaks volumes about the ceiling the four-time NBA champ saw in her.

And as Reese wanted, Shaq and Reebok made all of it happen. The shoe brand banked upon Reese to turn their tide in the basketball community. In this process, Reebok found its first hoops superstar in Reese, ever since Shaq and Rebecca Lobo. The association further materialized in 2025 when the brand gave Reese her first signature shoe- Reebok AR1. Earlier this year, the shoe line also released a new variant of the shoe- the “Unapologetically Angel” colorway.

Subsequently, Reese’s signature shoe gave Reebok another dynamic to appeal to in the basketball community. Notably, the brand had signature basketball shoe lines such as the “Reebok Shaq Attaq” and “The Lobo”. But with AR1, the brand tried to capture modern markets and expand into the WNBA, a market largely dominated by NIKE in the current era.

Reebok’s bet on Angel Reese worked. The AR1 shoes sold out within hours after their debut. And on top of that, it continues to leave its mark across various platforms, with superstars like Stephen Curry donning the shoe. But it wasn’t just the sales or legacy that Reese was banking on; she wanted to curate something creative that blended more than just the sport.

Angel Reese Had Just One Demand From Reebok During Her Signing

Of course, getting a signature shoe is a matter of pride for any WNBA athlete. After all, only a handful have received this honor through their partnerships. With AR1, Reese has joined an esteemed list of such athletes, featuring Candace Parker and A’ja Wilson. But Reese’s aspiration wasn’t just restricted to that.

Speaking during the Michelle Obama podcast, Reese clearly highlighted that she wanted to curate the perfect mix between fashion and basketball.”I want to incorporate fashion with basketball, Reese said. “And that was the biggest thing for me. Since then, it’s just been history. Being able to create this shoe has been phenomenal.”

Being a fashionista herself, Reese’s aspiration isn’t surprising. ChiBarbie’s shoe, as it turned out, was exactly that. On the surface level, the AR1 is a quality basketball shoe. The SuperFloat foam for better cushioning and the TPU stability cup for stability just add weight. Besides that, the shoes feature a unique colorway blend, making them immensely cool and appealing to younger generations.

Angel Reese’s inclusion eventually solidified as a trump card for the brand. Following her footsteps, the brand has also roped in athletes like Lauren Betts, a top-10 2026 WNBA Draft pick, who will play for the Washington Mystics in the upcoming season. This gives Reebok another W athlete to bank upon in the years to come.

On top of that, probable first-round NBA Draft pick Darius Acuff Jr. has also arrived at the Reebok umbrella in May. According to reports, Acuff is also in line to get a signature shoe- Acuff 1 or Engine A 26. This is yet another major win for the brand, as it can extend its market into the NBA with the signing.

The brand’s influence in the hoops market is consistently growing with these signings. But at the forefront, the beginning of it stems from a single pitch to an LSU junior, Angel Reese, by the Diesel that the brand is still reaping its benefits. And subsequently, Reese’s AR1 will get an even more prominent role in the weeks to come as she dons it during her third year in the W, this time with the Atlanta Dream.