Angel Reese was once told she wouldn’t make more than $2000 from her basketball. The same Angel Reese who is worth millions today. “I used to be with an agency and I’m not with the agency anymore. And initially, when I was with the agency, that specific agency told me I was never going to make over $2,000. … And that was when NIL first started,” Reese revealed last year. Today, she has two agents to manage her off-ball interests, with one of them being Jeanine Ogbonnaya of the Clearview Group, who has explained how she plans to immortalize Reese’s legacy. 

Talking about her relationship with the Chicago Sky star, Jeanine said, “I know what we have is so special. We can continue to build this to be something that nobody has ever seen is important. So I don’t need to, you know, to do that for me. I think my goal is to build a brand for her that can withstand well past her playing days. If I have done that, my job is done right like that.”

That 2024 class that included Reese has the first of WNBA’s young superstars. The popularity went through the roof after they arrived, and Reese was among the reasons why. She remains the most followed social media figure in the league, with more than 20 brand endorsements to her name that include the likes of Reebok, Airbnb, Amazon, PlayStation, SI Swimsuit, Starry, and many more, according to On3. Her brand was already stacked, but landing the NBA 2K26 cover and unveiling her signature shoe was the ultimate power move. However, Jeanine wants to push beyond that and help Reese maintain her legacy even after retirement. 

“So you know, we’re doing a lot of different things, really building our own brand, not just partnering with brands, building our own brands.” She said. Those signs are also evident. After being trolled mercilessly for grabbing her own rebound with a new terminology, “Mebound”. How did Reese respond? She trademarked that word and released a merchandise line, sending all the earnings to the Angel C. Reese Foundation to “help fight against cyberbullying.”  

Reese also hosts “Unapologetically Angel” while selling collaborative merchandise on her website. This has always been Reese’s plan, just listen to the reason why she chose Reebok. “So many different shoe companies wanted to work with me. But I chose Reebok. What was it about Reebok? One, they don’t have a women’s basketball player as a face. So I wanted to be that,” Reese said. However, this style is not a new one; Angel Reese is taking notes from one of the GOATs. Michael Jordan. 

Angel Reese’s Branding Approach Mirrors Michael Jordan

When Nike signed Michel Jordan in the 1980s, it was not the brand it is today. After it went public, the firm posted its first losing quarter and at one point, even had the share price down to single digits. The company was engulfed by crisis, and then they signed a 21-year-old phenom, Michael Jordan, and everything changed. Nike became the multi-billion-dollar company it is today. While Reebok isn’t in as bad a situation as Nike, they need to revive their basketball footprint, and the brand is betting big on Angel Reese with the help of the Jordan blueprint. 

Nike first launched the Air Jordan sneakers with the player’s name incorporated into the brand, which has evolved into a standalone Jordan with the Jumpman identity. Reebok Angel Reese 1 was unveiled in 2025 with a retail launch set and her own “AR” logo, positioned for on‑court and lifestyle wear. Just like Jordan, both have flipped the controversy for their own benefit. 

The first shoe, the Air Jordan 1, had a red and black color scheme that didn’t conform to the NBA’s uniform rules. As a result, Jordan was fined $5,000 for every game that he wore it. But Nike was so invested by this point that it just decided to foot the bill. That rebellious attitude made Jordan seem a ‘larger than life’ hero for the fans. Angel Reese is trending in the same direction. 

She is known for her bold statements while not conforming to society’s expectations and inspiring millions because of it. Her role in the recently blown-up CBA negotiations is well known. Just look at the recent ad Reebok released with Reese, “The Hate Train.” “They call it the ‘Hate Train.’ I call it the warm-up. Every stop, more opinions, more pressure, more reasons why I’m not supposed to be here, but I show up. Not for them, for the work,” Reese says in the advert. “I don’t ride the hate train. I drive it, and I own the tracks. This is Angel Reese 1 by Reebok.”

The “Mebounds” masterclass is another example of this, along with her dual career of modeling and basketball, which is criticized by many.  Yes, the scales differ a lot. Nike penciled in $3 million over four years, then Year 1 alone exploded to roughly $126 million, turning a modest forecast into a face‑plant and Air Jordan into a runaway phenomenon. The Reebok Angel Reese 1 sold out within minutes in its first launch on September 18  in three colorways, and the Mebounds merchandise earned “six figures” according to Reese. Beyond the numbers, the Reese-Reebok partnership screams Jordan and Nike.