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Former LSU star and current WNBA rookie Angel Reese never been afraid to forge her own path.
She continued that trend recently when she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok and turned down Nike in the process.
While the move drew plenty of criticism, Reese is now laying out her reasons and they make a good bit of sense.
🤔✔️ WHY ANGELA REESE DID NOT PICK NIKE? Angel Reese says she's bringing back Reebok. She also mentioned that Reebok didn't have a woman basketball player as a face, so she wanted to be that.👨🏽🍳👁️🦇 pic.twitter.com/l4Nq0ZQuke
— D.A.K. (@dadeasskickz) May 3, 2024
“So many different shoe companies wanted to work with me. But I chose Reebok,” Reese said on social media. “What was it about Reebok? One, they don’t have a woman’s basketball player (who is) a face. So I wanted to be that.
“Two, Shaq. You know my relationship with Shaw. And three I like how they were rebranding everything and they’re letting me be the creator behind everything I want to do. So I’m having my own shoe line coming out. Merch with my name on it.”
Reese said that she wants to incorporate her own unique style into the merchandise that will represent her.
Reese, like friend and rival Caitlin Clark, was panned for not returning to college for another year of eligibility. But she adamantly defended the move during the women’s NCAA Tournament.
“For me, I’ve honestly learned that, regardless, I’m going to be able to make money staying or going,” Reese said. “Understanding that my brand has been built where I know that more than being in college is something that I can do.
“…I have a brand outside of here where the deals are going to follow me if I leave or stay. And I’ve built that relationship with a lot of these Brands. I don’t just have brands that are in college. I have brands that are long-term deals that are just past college.”
It can’t be easy to turn down a brand as big as Nike. But it’s clear that Reese has a strong vision for her brand and it’s hard to argue with that confidence.