Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brand marketing series highlights young athletes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
POWER MOVES WITH SHAQUILLE O'NEAL features former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal as he sets out to revive the Reebok brand. In 1992 Shaq signed a deal with Reebok before his rookie season and helped popularize the brand with the "Shaq Attaq," his first signature shoe. Now he's the president of Reebok Basketball, and along with the new vice president, former NBA player Allen Iverson (who signed with the company in 1996), is developing strategies for relaunching the company's basketball division and making Reeboks culturally relevant again. While they work with designers in Boston to develop a boldly elevated new shoe to launch, members of Reebok's marketing team like Colin Bell and Shaq's adult son Shareef, who is pausing his basketball career to help his father, work on recruiting top talent among up-and-coming basket ball players to sign on as brand ambassadors to make the brand attractive to a new generation of sneaker. Finding players who embody the spirit of the Reebok rebrand or who haven't been approached by bigger companies like Nike and Adidas is not easy, especially when these companies use school donations as a recruitment tool, and the NCAA Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy allows athletes to create and make money off of their personal brands while maintaining their amateur status. Shaq knows that his reputation is at stake, but he's determined to re-establish Reebok as one of the top athletic shoe brands in the world.
Is It Any Good?
This candid series serves as one big giant advertisement for Reebok. That said, Power Moves still showcases the kind of work that goes into the development and marketing of sneakers in a competitive industry. There are a lot of conversations about money, development, and marketing goals, as well as concerns about competing against today's major sports companies like Nike, Adidas, and Converse, especially given the economic and legal shifts in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Shaq consistently notes his appreciation for Reebok, a company that took the risk of signing him to an endorsement deal very early in his career and helping him gain the visibility and popularity he still enjoys today.
Granted, his story helps make the brand more appealing, but what gives Power Moves a positive spin is how it is also spotlights up-and-coming basketball players in high schools and universities around the country, regardless of whether or not they choose to sign with Reebok. This narrative about giving back and and supporting young athletes, combined with Shaq's not-so-subtle, but humorous, self-aggrandizement, will appeal to basketball fans. But make no mistake, Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal is a major part of Reebok's new business strategy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Shaquille O'Neal. Did you know that in addition to being a successful basketball player and businessman, he also earned a doctorate degree?
How does Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal reveal the roles different media play in today's sports environment? What different types of media do athletes rely on to brand themselves and to get endorsement deals?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 24, 2025
- Cast : Shaquille O'Neal , Allen Iverson , Shareef O’Neal
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Reality TV
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : July 7, 2025
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