Joel Embiid is reportedly close to landing a sneaker deal with Sketchers. The reigning MVP "is nearing a deal to become Skechers’ star pitchman, industry sources briefed on the talks told The Athletic. A deal has not been signed yet, but Embiid wore a Skechers shoe for the first time during 76ers practice Wednesday. The brand’s performance staff are on site as he begins to test out the sneaker, sources said. Embiid will begin wearing the new Skechers shoe in games once the deal is fully complete, according to a source," Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reported.
Embiid was previously contracted to Under Armor. However, the deal was largely torpedoed by the pandemic. Embiid's signature shoe was announced a month before the world went into lockdown. Furthermore, it failed to see any bounce back after restrictions eased. However, Sketchers is taking a risk. Bigs rarely make for good shoe lines. Furthermore, Embiid's history of lower leg injuries inevitably puts a lot of scrutiny on his footwear. In short, Sketchers need to knock it out of the park on the first try.
Shaq Tabs Angel Reese For Reebok
However, Embiid isn't the only person landing shoe deals. Angel Reese has signed an exclusive deal with Reebok, becoming the first athlete to join the sneaker brand since Shaq became the company's President of Basketball. In an interview announcing the deal, Reese said that Shaq's presence was a prominent factor in sealing the deal. "Now that he's just been announced as their President of Basketball, that is inspirational to me, just being able to see an athlete or former athlete shift from not just being an athlete, but being the president of the brand is something that's important. I would love to do that one day," Reese said.
Shaq has previously called Reese the LSU GOAT and the two Tigers appear to share a close bond. While the terms of the deal were not announced, it's a fairly unsurprising move given their history. Shaq was announced as the company's new President of Basketball last week after the brand announced a major re-investment into the basketball market. Fellow Hall of Famer Allen Iverson was named the VP of Basketball at the same time.
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