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Allen Iverson named Reebok vice president of basketball, strengthening long-term connection to the brand

Shaquille O'Neal, another Hall of Famer with ties to the brand, was named president of basketball. Both players will help will recruitment and revival of the Reebok name.

Julius Erving, Allen Iverson and other teammates gather around the statue of Philadelphia 76ers Moses Malone at the Sixers' Practice Facility in Camden Friday February 8, 2019.
Julius Erving, Allen Iverson and other teammates gather around the statue of Philadelphia 76ers Moses Malone at the Sixers' Practice Facility in Camden Friday February 8, 2019.Read moreDavid Swanson / Staff file photo

Reebok named 76ers great Allen Iverson as its vice president of basketball on Thursday.

The move comes in conjunction with Shaquille O’Neal being named president of Reebok basketball by the shoe company. Both Hall of Famers are longtime brand partners with Reebok.

Iverson’s role will be to drive player recruitment, along with leading grassroots and community-based initiatives along with athlete activations similar to his annual Allen Iverson Roundball Classic.

The Sixers selected the guard with the first pick in the 1996 draft. He signed with Reebok before his rookie season. Iverson, 48, has a lifetime contract with Reebok, and will receive a $32 million trust on his 55th birthday thanks to a deal he signed in 2001. In addition, he reportedly receives an annual check of $800,000 as part of his lucrative deal.

Iverson, an 11-time all-star, played with the Sixers from 1996-2006 and during the 2009-10 season. He also had stints with the Nuggets, Pistons, and Grizzlies during his NBA career. Iverson briefly played for Besiktas Milangaz of the Turkish Basketball League in 2010-11. He averaged 26.7 points in his NBA career and carried the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001.

The newly created positions for O’Neal and Iverson come after Reebok’s announcement earlier this month that it would retool its strategy and work to reemerge in the team sports world and focus on its commitment to basketball performance.