LSU star Angel Reese signs a multiyear endorsement deal with Reebok

The GIST: LSU women’s basketball (and TikTok) star Angel Reese is officially the face of Reebok Basketball. The multiyear endorsement deal is the company’s first major name, image, and likeness (NIL) signing and its first overall ahead of its 2024 basketball relaunch. Now that’s how you ring in a new chapter.

The deal: While full details of the partnership haven’t been disclosed, the Bayou Barbie’s role in new-look Reebok Basketball appears to be influential. Reese will offer design input and product feedback and there’s already a Fall/Winter 2024 capsule collection in the works.

• In a cosmic, full-circle moment, Reebok’s newly-appointed basketball president Shaquille O’Neal specifically chose the GOAT to continue his legacy. O’Neal was Reebok’s first signature athlete, and his Shaq Attaq was the brand’s first signature shoe in 1992. The (LSU) stars aligned for this one.

The NIL trend: In the past, college shoe signings have been stepped on by restrictive school-wide sponsorships, but WBB phenoms like Reese are paving a new way forward. Paige Bueckers just inked an NIL deal with Nike, while Puma star Flau’jae Johnson flaunts her brand’s kicks off the court because LSU mandates Nike on it.

• Despite his alma mater’s policy, the Real Deal knows a good one when he sees it. Everyone is investing in Angel Reese — she has more NIL deals than any other college basketball player and her $1.7M in NIL valuations ranked seventh before the Reebok deal.

The WNBA landscape: By the time Reebok Basketball relaunches, Reese will likely be in the W. Puma and Nike’s battle at the pro level includes landmark deals with Sabrina Ionescu and Skylar Diggins-Smith, and while players are wearing six different brands during this year’s WNBA Finals, none are repping Reebok.

Zooming out: Basketball and its shoe game are rapidly changing, and so are its major players. Thanks to NIL, Reese is empowered in ways previous generations never were, with brands both fueling and profiting from the game’s growing demand. GRWM to change the game.