"EXTRA" GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF SHAQ'S PARTING WITH REEBOK

          The parting of Reebok and Shaquille O'Neal and its
     impact on the shoe industry was examined last night by Scott
     Rappaport of "Extra."  O'Neal's agent, Leonard Armato, when
     asked who "dumped" who: "We can't really talk about what
     happened between Shaq and Reebok."  USA Today's Melanie
     Wells: "If Reebok still wanted Shaq, Shaq would still be
     with Reebok."  Wells, on companies paring athlete endorsers:
     "It probably costs about $20, if that, to make a pair of
     sneakers.  The only reason companies need to charge so much
     is to offset, in some cases, what they pay these commercial
     endorsers."  Wells hinted that the price of sneakers could
     go down with companies breaking ties with their endorsers:
     "You're never going to get a pair of sneakers for $20, but I
     bet you will be able to get a better pair of sneakers for
     $70 than you have in the past."  Rappaport reported that
     O'Neal will manufacture his own line of shoes and sell them
     "at a reasonable price" ("Extra," 7/20).