Allen Iverson's endorsement deal with Reebok has provided one of the longest running signature lines in basketball history. While not all of the pairs ended up being memorable silhouettes like the Question Mid or Answer 4, it's an impressive feat nonetheless to carry a signature sneaker for over a decade. During a recent interview with Thuzio, Iverson discussed how his Reebok deal came to be and said his coach at Georgetown, John Thompson, encouraged him to join Reebok instead of Nike.
"I remember I had the meeting with Nike first and they said, 'We'll give you $5 million, 10 years.' I said, 'Ok. I've never had that much money in my life, never seen that much money. Sounds good to me. Let me get back with y'all and let me hear what Reebok has to say,'" he said. "Coach Thompson was on the board of directors for Nike. That was my coach and I was going to him for advice. He said, 'Boy, if you don't get the hell out of here with that shit, it's a no brainer.' And that was it. That's how I ended up signing with Reebok."
Iverson continued saying that the offer made by Nike was "way off" from the Reebok deal he would sign, but that he asked Thompson out of respect for his coach due to him working for the Swoosh.
Aside from Shaquille O' Neal, Iverson is arguably the most notable endorsee of Reebok basketball. While his playing career ended in 2010, Reebok actually released his last signature model, the Answer 14, in 2014. Retro models of the aforementioned Question Mid and Answer 4 still sporadically hit retailers to this day.
