Last year, Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander sparked a public MVP debate with Shaq. Shaquille O’Neal had the opinion that the Thunder guard deserved the MVP trophy over Nikola Jokic. Shannon Sharpe called him out for jealousy toward current MVP‑caliber centers. Shaq then retaliated with the diss track ‘Shaqtin’ You Wrong,’ challenging Jokic’s MVP case and underscoring his competitive fire. However, Shaq’s liking towards SGA was not just limited to his MVP case.

Off‑court, SGA’s expiring Converse deal became the NBA sneaker market’s marquee free‑agency storyline. SGA faced free agency on the sneaker front after running out of his Converse contract. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Converse agreed to a multi-year contract extension. Industry insiders peg the multi‑year Converse extension at $15 million guaranteed. This also makes him the Creative Director of Converse Basketball. Since 2003, Converse has been a subsidiary brand of Nike, and the Swoosh, as of May 07, 2025, has a market cap of $ 82.48 billion.

Amid those reups, Netflix’s Power Moves trailer revealed Shaq’s real target. The trailer from Netflix about Reebok’s rebrand shed light on Big Aristotle’s plans. “We need somebody great, somebody that makes people go, ‘Oh my God.‘” Then the clip cuts to Angel Reese, who signed with the brand, and then Shaq hints about signing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“SGA, I heard his contract’s up.” Even the team member in the video reminded the Lakers legend about the Canadian star’s value to Converse. “He’s Converse’s premier guy.” Then we cut to the Vice President of the basketball wing of Reebok, saying, “Might be a problem.”

The trailer of ‘Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal’ followed his role with Reebok regrowth. And that’s why at the end of the trailer, Shaq is hyping up the brand. “It’s not gonna be easy relaunching Reebok. We’re going up against major brands. However, we on your a–.” Even though the NBA icon couldn’t sign SGA from rivals, he has a story connected with Nike’s sub-brand.

Shaquille O’Neal used to hurt people because of his Converse shoes

Long before Shaq towered over NBA arenas, he was a scrawny kid in Newark who loved his $1.99 “Buddies” sneakers. The Buddies were Converse’s mass‑market canvas shoe, famous for its catchy jingle. Speaking on Unapologetically Angel with WNBA star Angel Reese, the 4x NBA champion, candidly shared how he was constantly bullied for wearing Converse Buddies. They taunted him with the Buddy jingle (“Buddies—they make your feet feel fine…”) and sparked playground fights. “I had like one hundred fights,” he laughed, “because those were the only shoes my parents could afford… and I had to beat people up.” However, Big Diesel understood that his parents bought him what they could afford. So, he defended himself against his bullies.

“I had like 100 fights because I had wore some shoes, cuz that’s all my parents could go for, and I used to have to beat people up.” That adversity seeded Shaq’s appreciation for sneaker power. After dominating Converse’s Buddies, he jumped to Reebok in 1992, with his rookie MVP season, directly challenging Converse’s dwindling market share. Reebok, then the NBA’s official shoe, offered Shaq endorsement money and cutting‑edge tech that Converse lacked.

Two decades later, Shaq circles back. But this time, as President of Reebok Basketball and co‑star of Netflix’s Power Moves. His childhood hunger for respect has evolved into a mission: revive Reebok’s on‑court prestige. His recollection of “hurt people” and playground scraps is a trajectory from bullied kid to brand boss, explaining why he courted Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander as Reebok’s next superstar.