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John Calipari reveals feelings on Darius Acuff Jr. Reebok shoe deal

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko03/24/26nickkosko59

John Calipari is quite proud of Darius Acuff Jr. and others for getting their own signature shoe. It helps that the Arkansas star is partnered with Reebok and Allen Iverson.

In addition to Acuff, Calipari mentioned that he had numerous players with mega shoe deals and worth a lot in endorsements. While speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, Calipari was eager to talk about the partnership, but also get ready for Arkansas’s next game in the NCAA tournament against Arizona.

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“Having a signature shoe with AI, who I coached when we were in Philadelphia. And I love him. He and I have stayed in touch,” Calipari said. “I got about 10 guys that have signature shoes. And, you know, I have them all in my office. We have 13 all-stars, two MVPs, $6 billion in salaries, I mean, and the guys I have on this team, they’re going to be NBA players because they deserve to be. 

“Now, they got the challenge of their lives with Arizona. Tommy’s done an unbelievable job with his team. And so we’re going in like, let’s go, let’s see who we are. Probably have to make adjustments as the game unfolds, because of how they’re going to play, and seeing what they’ll do defensively to us, because we’re a good offensive team. We score 90 a game. And so they’ll probably do some different things. We’ll have to see.”

Acuff Jr. originally signed an NIL deal with Reebok last May, joining Tennessee freshman Nate Ament and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese on the brand’s roster. Following a stellar freshman campaign, which saw him become just the second freshman in the past 13 seasons to win SEC Player of the Year, he now earns his first signature shoe before landing on an NBA team.

The Detroit native averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.1 rebounds this season for John Calipari‘s Razorback team. He has been even better in the postseason play, averaging 30.2 points in five SEC Tournament/NCAA Tournament games this season.

The announcement comes as Reebok continues to invest more in basketball after legends Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson joined the company in 2023. Angel Reese is a key part of the roster and launched her own signature shoe last September, as part of an extension with the brand. The company added other stars such as Dink Pate, Matas Buzelis and DiJonai Carrington, as well.