Jay-Z and 50 Cent could see their Reebok shoes return courtesy of Shaq and Allen Iverson

The O.G.s of their respective games could soon work together to bring retro collaborative kicks back to the public.
50 Cent Performs In Milan
50 Cent Performs In Milan / Sergione Infuso - Corbis/GettyImages
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Reebok's basketball division is in good hands as their recently appointed president and vice-president happen to be NBA legends – Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson, respectively. Shaq and AI's vision for Reebok has them kickin' it back old school with re-releases of some iconic retro styles, including the "Reebok Preseason", the Allen Iverson "Red Toe", and Michael Chang's "Court Victory Pump".

Shaq and Iverson's presidential ventures have given them the flexibility and freedom to operate Reebok Basketball. They recently teased on an episode of Complex Sneaker Shopping that the duo may be collaborating with a legendary rap duo on sneakers once again.

Shaq, Allen Iverson, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent have the opportunity to boost Reebok back to mainstream relevancy once again.

Respective icons of the 2000s, just as Shaq and AI are for the NBA, Jay-Z and 50 Cent are two of the rap industry's most famed and respected artists. Their successes in rap saw them involved in many other projects, including collaborative sneaker releases with Reebok back in the day.

Jay-Z had his S. Carter line of shoes released in the spring of 2003, to much fanfare. The S. Carter, which modeled a silhouette similar to that of a Gucci 84 tennis sneaker, was meant to be a casual wear shoe as Jay-Z told the New York Post in 2003. When the S. Carter shoes first dropped at Foot Locker locations around America, the shoe was priced at $100 and packaged with a CD containing unreleased Jay-Z tracks. Following a week of sales, the shoe was reported to have sold over 10,000 pairs, making it the highest-selling sneaker for Foot Locker up to that point.

Jay-Z
2003 NBA All-Star Weekend - Reebok and Jay-Z to Launch the "S. Carter Collection by Rbk" / Theo Wargo/GettyImages

"“It’s for a guy on the sidelines that can’t jump, but still wants to look cool.”"

Jay Z via the New York Post, 2003.

It wasn't just Jay-Z's S. Carter's taking the Reebok brand by storm at that time, 50 Cent also found immense success and established his iconic footprint with his G-Unit sneaker collab. The G-Unit shoes were reportedly so successful that Reebok CEO, Todd Krinsky, claimed they outsold similar Air Jordan colorways at one point. Now Krinsky didn't get too overzealous, as he also said the G-Unit kicks were never close to beating Air Jordan, but they did come close in certain instances. Nevertheless, G-Unit was an absolute powerhouse from that era, and for a brand to carry a sneaker dedicated to the renowned hip-hop group, it's no surprise the shoes did so well.

Reebok & 50 Cent Host Party to Debut Answer 7 & G6 Footwear
Reebok & 50 Cent Host Party to Debut Answer 7 & G6 Footwear / Lawrence Lucier/GettyImages

Reebok has a money-making opportunity in front of them to channel that hip-hop, early 2000s nostalgia and negotiate deals with Jay-Z and 50 Cent once again. Who better to do it than Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson, no less? There is no official timeline as of yet, but you could say that all we have right now are 21 questions (pun intended, obviously).

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