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Shaquille O'Neal Reveals Major Warning He Gave to Angel Reese Before Career-Altering Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 3:58 PM ET

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is only in her second WNBA season, but is already one of the most popular players in the sport.

The double-double machine is the most-followed athlete in the WNBA on Instagram with 4.9 million, her podcast "Unapologetically Angel," has 142,000 subscribers and she has already been given a signature shoe Reebok.

The signature "Engine A" shoes released on Reebok's website on Wednesday for $120 in five different colorways, and officially made Reese just one of a handful active players with a signature sneaker.

Being that Reese, who was named an WNBA All-Star as a rookie, checks all of the boxes on and off of the court, she would have always seemed like the perfect candidate for a signature shoe.

However, while appearing on "New Heights" with Travis and Jason Kelce, NBA legend and mentor of Reese, Shaquille O'Neal who is the President of Reebok Basketball, revealed that he made it clear to Reese that signing with Reebok could propel her career even more than brands such as Nike, Under Armour or Puma.

"We launched our first shoe, Engine A, and the first signee I had to make was Angel Reese because I know her," O'Neal said. "So I went to her and said, ‘Listen, I could do something nobody’s going to do for you...'Said '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?”

O'Neal brought up how long it took Las Vegas Aces star and three-time WNBA MVP, A'ja Wilson, to get a signature shoe with Nike, as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft saw her first shoe release just last month.

Not to mention, Reese's classmate and fellow second-year superstar Caitlin Clark is still awaiting her first shoe despite signing an eight-year $28 million deal with Nike, and despite the fact she is viewed as the face of the league.

So, while Reebok may not be as popular as it once was when O'Neal donned the kicks during his career, Reese not only has an opportunity to help resurrect the once dominant brand, but to be the focal point of the company.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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