by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
Allen Iverson could’ve been Nike’s golden boy… he chose Reebok instead.
Former Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson was almost “The Answer” to who was the first signature athlete to sign with Jordan Brand.
According to Complex, Nike presented Iverson with the “Bubba Chuck” basketball shoe prototype to entice him to sign with Jordan Brand in 1996. Iverson reminisced about the meeting he had with Nike executives before he ended up signing with Reebok.
Iverson was asked about that meeting, and he verified that he could sign with the sneaker giant.
“I remember that like it was yesterday. That was a big decision for me,” Iverson told Joe La Puma. “[Nike] had a shoe, but I was convinced when I went into a meeting with Reebok that that’s what I wanted to do. They were great salespeople. They made me comfortable about getting to where I’m at right now.”
His longstanding relationship with Reebok has been beneficial as he was appointed Vice President of Reebok Basketball.
Iverson is set to be honored once again by the 76ers next month, on April 12. The team announced that a sculpture depicting his likeness will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Penn Medicine Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. The sculpture of Iverson will be placed next to several other 76ers legends. Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Maurice Cheeks, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Hal Greer, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, and Dolph Schayes have sculptures along the 76ers Legends Walk at the Penn Medicine Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex.
Source: Black Enterprise
