Reebok made a major statement when it signed women’s basketball star Angel Reese last October. While speaking at the Black Footwear Forum in Detroit on Friday, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal — who now serves as the president of Reebok Basketball — revealed who was behind that decision.
“I wish I could take all the credit. It was one of my favorite people in the office,” O’Neal said while pointing at Portia Blunt, Reebok senior vice president of global product. “She says, ‘You have a relationship with Angel, we should sign her.’ Basically, I did what she said. I called Angel, Angel was interested. I said, ‘Angel this is Portia. Portia, this is Angel.'”
O’Neal and Blunt spoke during the Afternoon Session powered by Reebok, and offered a look into their professional relationship. The dynamic between the two is playful, and O’Neal pesters Blunt with sibling-like sarcasm. However, O’Neal said it is always respectful.
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“If you have teammates, listen to always each other. And to keep it real, you don’t always have to agree with each other, but make sure you never disrespect each other,” O’Neal said. “We argue all the time, but I would never disrespect this beautiful young sister, and she knows that.”
Blunt joined Reebok in March 2021 as its vice president of apparel. Before Reebok, she spent more than a decade at New Balance, last serving as its director of apparel operations.
O’Neal, who was backed by Reebok for much of his hall of fame career, is the second-largest individual shareholder of Reebok’s parent company, Authentic Brands Group. In October 2023, one week before Reebok announced it had signed Reese, who then was a college athlete who played for LSU, the brand announced O’Neal’s new president role, as well as the hiring of NBA legend Allen Iverson as the VP of its basketball business.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
