The NBA legend sat down with Boardroom to discuss his lasting legacy, his continued evolution as a businessman, and the upcoming documentary on his life.
Thirty years after first starring at Georgetown and later landing a 10-year, $60 million rookie shoe deal with Reebok upon turning pro, Allen Iverson is the first to know just how much the marketing landscape has evolved since.
And yet, he still finds himself signing on as a featured ambassador of global brands after all this time, with his impact on basketball, culture, and style cemented.
“Being authentic is always going to be in style,” Iverson says of his marketing longevity. “That’s important for me to maintain my loyalty to who I am, the people around me, and the people that molded me to be the person that I am today.”
Just last fall, Iverson took on a new role during his retirement, landing an official management role with Reebok. Alongside his 2016 Hall of Fame classmate Shaquille O’Neal, who now helms the title of President of Reebok Basketball, Iverson will hold it down as Vice President.
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The process was quick, with his “family at Reebok” calling him up, looking to convert his existing long-term ambassador and royalty formatted deal into a real decision maker’s title as VP — a “no-brainer” to sign on. The brand is working behind the scenes currently out of a new Boston-based HQ ahead of a 2025 re-launch for its basketball division.
“I know we can do big things together,” added Iverson, who had 14 Reebok signature shoes during his playing career. “If there’s a decision that’s getting ready to be made or thought about, we talk about it and figure it out. At the end of the day, Shaq makes all of the decisions and I give my input — and we rock and roll.”
While Iverson and Shaq had often been linked during their careers, each signing on as Reebok signature athletes ahead of their NBA debut and later facing off in the 2001 NBA Finals, they’re just as close as ever now, with Iverson often turning to O’Neal — perhaps the league’s most prolific endorser in retirement — for feedback and advice.
“He’s a genius,” smiled Iverson. “He’s one of the smartest men I ever met in my life. … Just an awesome dude and I’m just so blessed and proud to have him be a part of just an inkling of my life.”
One of Iverson’s most recent endorsement deals is with Pepsi — also a longtime brand partner of O’Neal, who recently made a Reebok shoe with a Pepsi can snuck into the outsole. The brand’s newest campaign toys with the idea of fans using AI to make their March Madness bracket picks. Except it’s “the original AI,” as Iverson likes to now call it, giving the pick advice.
The spot, a play on words many have made over the last year amidst the rise of Artificial Intelligence and automated apps, passed the marketing filter for today’s era that matters most to The Answer.
“My kids like it, and if they think it’s cool, [then I’m good with it,]” he smiled. “Cause they think their dad is corny and old. [laughs] So I think it’s dope, since they thought it was cool.”
Iverson admits it was a year of getting used to the phrase he’d often hear shouted at him daily by fans.
“It’s kind of strange, cause you hear ‘AI, AI, AI’ — and all the time, I’m thinking somebody is talking about me,” he jokes. “In the beginning, I thought it was corny. Now, as I’ve seen how powerful it is, it’s like, ‘Oh, ok. This might be something that I can work with.’”
As it played out, the campaign with Pepsi for its “Zero Right Challenge” became the perfect opportunity to embrace the two letter confusion.
When discussing this year’s March Madness and his own experience playing in the tournament, it’s hard to ignore just how much the marketing landscape has evolved since the mid-90s. When asked how much he thinks his NIL value would’ve been during his time starring for the Hoyas, the always honest and upfront Iverson caught me off guard with his answer.
“I’ve never thought about it,” he admits, while stalling to process the concept.
Regardless, he says there was “definitely excitement” when NIL laws passed in 2021, knowing that the stars of today can monetize their image while in school. A key component of Reebok’s strategy going forward is expected to be looking at signing even more NIL deals, similar to LSU star Angel Reese.
“For you to be able to get paid for something that you would do anyway is a beautiful thing, man,” he added. “For someone to appreciate you enough, to pay you for it, I think that’s dope.”
With fourteen signatures shoes across his iconic Question model and 13 Answer silhouettes, and a lifetime association with the brand that has him now helming the title of Vice President of Reebok Basketball, Iverson it was simply “my time to get down.”
As he continues to look to build up Reebok “to the level that we were at,” The Answer has yet another project in the works with Shaq on the way. O’Neal’s Jersey Legends and Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media production companies have been working away on an upcoming documentary about Iverson’s life story.
While many chapters of his life have been well chronicled, Iverson points out that this doc will detail “what it really is.”
“It’s great being Allen Iverson. It’s a great, great life,” he begins. “But it’s a lot that come with it. … With this documentary, you going to
see the journey and the things that I go through in everyday life. Not saying that I want to change anything, cause if I die today, I would rather come back Allen Iverson tomorrow. I would never change anything.
“But, at the same time, we gonna find out if with all the great things that come with being me, could you put up with being me?”
Like everything throughout his career that he was “beat up for” — the tattoos, the cornrows, the lifestyle, and the baggy clothes — he’s hoping the upcoming project can leave an impact on people and help inspire the next generation.
“It’s going to be great for people. My story is an open book,” Iverson continued. “There’s things in my life that I’m embarrassed about, but at the same time, I’m going to share everything. … Out of this documentary, if I help one person and it changes their life, then I think I did my duty.”
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