- Reebok has officially unveiled "We Rise," a cinematic black-and-white campaign film starring Chicago Bulls rising star Matas Buzelis, NBA rookies Darius Acuff Jr. (Sacramento Kings) and Nate Ament (Milwaukee Bucks), and WNBA rookie Lauren Betts (Washington Mystics). Acclaimed artist Tobe Nwigwe narrates the spot.
- The film serves as a direct creative sequel to Reebok's March 2026 "Comm. One" campaign, expanding the brand's "Team RBK.B" roster of elite, next-generation basketball talent.
- While rookies Acuff Jr. and Betts joined the brand around their respective 2026 draft nights, Reebok's relationship with Ament dates back to his high school days, and Buzelis has been an anchor of the brand's relaunch since signing a multiyear partnership in late 2024.
- Reebok Basketball Head Jide Osifeso framed the campaign as definitive evidence that the brand’s historic hoops comeback is "now actually in motion."
Reebok is leaning heavily into its basketball renaissance with “We Rise,” a campaign that pairs raw rookie potential with proven pro production. Narrated by Tobe Nwigwe, the film utilizes high-contrast, slow-motion footage to showcase the distinct styles of its flagship basketball roster.
Anchoring the campaign is Matas Buzelis, the 6’10” Chicago Bulls forward who just wrapped up a stellar sophomore NBA season, averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Buzelis represents the stable, competitive bridge between Reebok’s initial 2024 division relaunch and its newest class of signees. He signed a major multiyear endorsement deal with Reebok in October 2024 as the 11th overall pick out of the G League Ignite. He also serves as a primary performance face for Reebok’s flagship “Engine A” basketball shoe.
Joining him are the headliners of the 2026 draft class. Darius Acuff Jr. arrives in Sacramento as the No. 7 overall pick following an electric freshman year at Arkansas, where he took home SEC Player of the Year honors. “We Rise” marks his first major commercial campaign since signing with Reebok around draft time; he previously made history by securing a landmark Reebok shoe deal during his collegiate run.
Nate Ament, the versatile forward out of Tennessee, heads to the Milwaukee Bucks as the 13th overall pick. Reebok locked him down early in October 2024 as one of the brand’s first high school NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) signings. He also served as a central figure in the March 2026 “Comm. One” film.
Rounding out the quartet is Lauren Betts, the dominant center drafted No. 4 overall by the Washington Mystics after leading UCLA to a national title. She joined Reebok in April, becoming the brand’s fifth active WNBA signee.
Beyond her multiyear shoe deal with Reebok, Betts signed a major beauty partnership fronting NYX Professional Makeup’s “Make Them Look” campaign ahead of her draft selection.
This core group joins an expanding basketball stable that includes cornerstone athlete Angel Reese (featuring her signature Angel Reese 1 line), DiJonai Carrington, Aneesah Morrow, and Lexie Brown.
The aggressive onboarding of young talent mirrors Reebok’s iconic 1990s playbook, which famously built the brand around rookies Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson.
Takeaways
By centering the campaign around Matas Buzelis alongside three elite rookies, Reebok is executing a highly balanced playbook. They aren’t just betting on unproven potential; they are insulating their raw rookies with a third-year NBA starter who has already proven his production at the professional level.
Betts gives Reebok an immediate elite interior presence in the WNBA to run parallel to the cultural and commercial wave generated by Angel Reese.
Furthermore, retaining Tobe Nwigwe as the recurring voice across “Comm. One” and “We Rise” indicates that Reebok is prioritizing a consistent, cohesive creative identity rather than cycling through disconnected ad concepts.
Can the combination of a proven rising star like Buzelis and highly hyped rookies translate directly into performance sneaker sales? Does Reebok’s strategy of signing talent early (like Ament in high school or Buzelis as a rookie) give it a sustainable edge against industry titans Nike and Adidas?
