Authentic Brands-owned Reebok, which last week announced the appointment of Shaquille O’Neal as the president of Reebok Basketball, announced a NIL (Name Image Likeness) partnership yesterday with women’s college basketball star Angel Reese, who plays for LSU (where O’Neal also starred). The moves come on the heels of Reebok’s stated intention to make re-emerging into team sports part of its long-term strategy, with a focus on performance basketball and the intersection of sports and fashion.

Reese joins the brand’s roster of athletes alongside Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields and legacy partners including Allen Iverson. Reese will be featured in campaigns across lifestyle and performance products and will work with Reebok product teams to influence future designs and innovations, including her own collection slated to launch in FW24.

Moving forward, Authentic Brands hopes that new president of Basketball O’Neal can help lead the brand’s basketball category strategy and cultivate partnerships with athletes and organizations. O’Neal, an Authentic shareholder, played a role, together with Authentic Brands Group CEO Jamie Salter, and president Nick Woodhouse, in bringing Reebok into the portfolio of global brands owned by the company back in 2021.