Reebok is building up its team as it returns to the basketball court.
The sportswear brand announced Tuesday that it named Jide Osifeso its new head of basketball. Osifeso, founder of the contemporary menswear label Hymne, which has an ongoing partnership with Reebok, quietly entered the role in spring 2024 and is currently overseeing all facets of Reebokâs basketball division alongside Shaquille OâNeal and Allen Iverson, the former NBA stars who now serve as president and vice president, respectively, of Reebokâs basketball category.
As head of basketball, Osifeso plays a key role in shaping Reebokâs creative direction within basketball by fostering cultural partnerships aligned with the sport and trying to define Reebok Basketballâs identity for a new generation of athletes and consumers.
âReebokâs been out of basketball for over a decade, so now, it almost feels like we have this start-up mentality,â Osifeso said. âWhatâs fundamental is asking what basketball means to the culture today and whether the kids, who have no recollection of what this brand was in the past, would want from us.â
Reebok was a prominent player within the performance basketball space in the 1990s and early-2000s, during which it became known for styles such as the Pump and its signature shoes for OâNeal and Iverson, such as the Question and Shaqnosis. But the category faltered under previous owner Adidas, which ultimately sold Reebok to Authentic Brands Group for $2.5 billion in 2021. Reebok has since re-entered the game, introducing the Engine A â its first performance basketball sneaker since the early 2010s â at the start of the year.
To rekindle its relevance with younger audiences, the brand has also looked to young talents like WNBA player Angel Reese, whom it signed in 2023 and is expected to release a signature shoe for in 2026. More recently, the company has signed college athletes such as Darius Acuff and NBA rookies such as Matas Buzelis, players who Osifeso sees as having the potential to shape the larger culture around the sport.
Reebok is hoping Osifeso will have his own impact. He previously worked on campaigns during Kerby Jean-Raymondâs tenure as Reebokâs global creative director, and outside of Reebok, Osifeso has worked with artists such as SZA and Kendrick Lamar on merch. In a statement shared in Reebokâs press release, OâNeal said Osifeso understands Reebokâs heritage âand how he can build on that to take Reebok in a powerful new direction.â
âThe main thing that weâre focusing on right now is getting back into the space humbly, and that is done through a creative lens,â said Osifeso.