When it comes to Shaq and his vision to elevate Reebok to new heights, compromise was never part of the plan. But taking the brand to new heights can only come with new faces and fresh legs who promise to make the future of the sport brighter. And Shaq’s bet? “He is very family-oriented,“ Shaquille O’Neal said about the NBA G League player. The 7-foot-1 giant has always cared deeply for his own family and saw a similar trait in Dink Pate. Perhaps that’s why the businessman made such a great effort to sign the player to Reebok. But isn’t it risky?

In 2023, Reebok set the stage for a new chapter by naming Shaquille O’Neal as President of Basketball Operations. Soon after that, another legendary athlete involved with the brand is Allen Iverson, who also has a lifetime deal as their vice president. Together, the two had worked closely for Reebok to revive its previous glory. Netflix’s docuseries Power Moves delves into their behind-the-scenes collaboration, showcasing how Shaq and Iverson worked together to make strategic, yet powerful moves, one of the most impactful being the recruitment of a talented roster to the brand.

The second episode of the docuseries shows that the 4x NBA Champ met with Pate and his family for dinner and urged him to think about signing a deal with Reebok. During the interview segments amid the conversation, a former NBA player admitted that for a brand which has been “out of the Game,” signing any young player or Dink is a “risk”. Despite this, O’Neal put forth the offer to Pate.

“We don’t want to give a bunch of old NBA players a lot of money. We want to start with you guys, because it’s a different era, a different time. A gentleman like yourself, you have a large following. I’m learning a lot from you guys… your culture. We’re interested, we want to sign you,” Shaquille O’Neal told Pate. While he currently plays in the G league, Dink wishes to be the face of the NBA, and for that, deals such as these do make changes! But what is so risky for someone as young as Dink? Shaq himself has an answer to this.

“A gentleman like yourself, you have a large following. Like I’m learning. I’m learning a lot from you guys, I’m learning a lot from your culture. …(also) I didn’t even tell that. But for Dink or any young player to sign with Reebok right now, when we’ve been out of the game for a while, would be a risk.” But why is it risky? Here we explain.

Despite bold efforts to hire Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson to leadership roles, alongside collaborations with athletes and influencers, Reebok still lags behind Nike and Adidas in global market share. While the duo dominates, Reebok’s share remains much smaller, despite efforts to revitalize its brand, which can limit a new talent’s prospects. But what does Dink think about the deal?

Cut to the present, Pate signed a multi-year endorsement deal with the brand. “I have been speechless for months bro, I have been speechless. Because I have never thought of any shoe deal. I have never thought of representing a brand.” Pate said. When Shaq feels it is risky, Dink is terming his own player edition shoes as a success.

The 6-foot-8 was too young to be drafted in 2024; however, when he does enter the league, Pate will have much knowledge and experience from having played in professional basketball. He is projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. For the G League Ignite star and all the other athletes, O’Neal did, however, make one special promise that might have convinced them! 

What did Shaquille O’Neal promise that convinced the athletes? 

Indeed, the money factor plays a crucial role, but that isn’t the only focus for Shaq. He wants to build a connection. For that, he even urged the company to promise one thing to the athletes. He added that while other companies might make more impressive offers, O’Neal promised to give them their shoes.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend made the same offer to Dink. “The only thing I can say about my company is I can give you your own shoe… We design something, we send it to the family, tell us if you like it or not. Very simple process because you move the culture. So if you like it, I’m sure they like it. You have creative control, whatever you want,” he said as he assured the young hooper that he would have creative control over his design. 

Earlier, during his appearance on the New Heights podcast, the ‘Big Aristotle’ explained that he had made the same offer to Reese. “So I can give you your own shoe. You want to go to Nike and wear everybody else’s shoe, or you want to have your own shoe,” he explained.

He even brought up A’ja Wilson in the conversation. The 3x WNBA MVP and Nike launched the “Nike A’One” sneaker and apparel line. But this wasn’t until six years after Wilson signed the deal with the brand in 2018. This long delay drew much criticism. This is perhaps why O’Neal and Reebok might seemingly entice the players. The other notable athletes who signed with the brand are DiJonai Carrington, Nate Ament, and more.