Former NBA player Allen Iverson is widely known as a culture-setter in the NBA. Iverson was one of the most influential athletes of his generation, but unlike most players of this stature, Iverson was known as a Reebok athlete rather than a Nike athlete.
Before signing a lifetime endorsement deal with Reebok in 2001, Allen Iverson signed a ten-year, $50 million deal with the brand during his rookie season. While impressive, during an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Nike’s former VP, Howard White, revealed how Nike almost signed Iverson right out of college but came up short.
“I remember the day Boo Williams called me, and he said, ‘H, I got one. But I need help with him, though.’ Who is that? Allen Iverson,” White recalled.
White noted that Allen Iverson’s guidance counselor was someone he knew in high school. With the familiar ties and the closeness with Iverson’s family, White was positioned as the ideal person to guide the basketball star as news broke that he would be leaving college.
“Boo called me,” White continued. “He said, ‘H, he’s out of school. He’s leaving school.’ I said, ‘He’s leaving?’ He said, ‘It’s done. It’s over.’ He just came home in a brand new Benz. He ain’t going back to school. He [Boo] said, ‘You need to come down here, because Ann will do whatever you want her to do. You need to come down here and sign them now.'”
Howard White immediately called Nike co-founder Phil Knight to update him on the situation. While there was some hesitation, White reiterated the urgency of the situation, adding that Reebok had also approached Allen Iverson, offering him an additional marketing budget, driving up the overall value of the deal.
“We could have probably changed it around, but that was like more than MJ was making,” White noted. “There was no way on any planet I’m doing that. And I remember he asked his mother, ‘Momma, what about H?’ And she said, ‘Well, we’re going to go for the money.'”
The former Nike VP regretted the way the situation played out, but added that there was no animosity between him and Iverson’s family. While he stated that signing with Nike may have been more beneficial for the superstar’s career, it can be argued that Iverson did fairly well for himself.
Even though Allen Iverson didn’t win any NBA titles, he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent figures of the early 2000s. Known for his virtuoso dribbling and scoring, Iverson consistently dazzled crowds with his exciting style of play, averaging 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game over his career.
Signing with Reebok has also been largely beneficial for the former NBA player, who continues to reap the rewards of his lifetime deal with the brand. Set to earn $32 million from the brand on his 55th birthday, Iverson is truly in line for a huge payday.
Aside from this, Allen Iverson also became the VP of Reebok in 2023, with Shaquille O’Neal serving as the president. Under this capacity, Iverson recently made some waves by endorsing Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr., making him the first college basketball player to sign an exclusive shoe deal.
With Reebok taking a new approach to endorsement deals, there is a possibility for the sporting brand to become a big player in the market again.
