Reebok basketball shoes are a lost trend in the current NBA but there is now new hope. John Wall has signed a 5-year, $25 million deal with Reebok. Wall has plans that go beyond the basketball court, “The impact was basically me wanting to go where it’s best for me and what can help build my brand and make me more marketable and having a better image.”
Reebok hasn’t been successful in the basketball world since the Allen Iverson‘s prime.
“Growing up everybody liked Allen Iverson. Little kid with braids, tough. Had a crossover,” said Wall, but claims that wasn’t the reason he chose Reebok.
The Wizards hope that if they draft Wall he can be a leader from the very beginning and help turn around a team that went 26-56 last season. Wall has hopes he can do the same off the court with Reebok: “Just felt like I could be the face of the basketball side there. That was the key for me.” He wore his new shoes at the Washington Wizards predraft workout, but the release date for his signature shoes has not been set.
It’s amazing that in this economy Wall has gotten a deal of this magnitude. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Blake Griffin, got a comparitively measly $400,000 annual contract with Nike. After high school, during his one season in Europe, Brandon Jennings had a deal with Under Armour for $2 million over 4 years. Now Reebok, and soon an NBA franchise (almost certain Wizards), will have a new leader.
— Nabeel Ahmadieh
