adidas trying to dominate...

Adidas-Salomon is near a deal to acquire Reebok International for about $4.4 billion, executives involved in the discussions said yesterday. The transaction would reshape the sports footwear and apparel industry.

The deal, which was being negotiated late last night and could be announced today, would give Nike its first formidable competitor in more than a decade. A combined Adidas-Reebok would control about 20 percent of the market, but would still remain behind Nike, which has about a third of the $145 billion worldwide market.

The transaction puts two of the world's best-known brands together and combines a star-studded stable of athlete and entertainment endorsers including the basketball player Allen Iverson (Reebok), the soccer player David Beckham (Adidas) and the rap artists Jay-Z (Reebok) and Missy Elliott (Adidas). The transaction would also bring together Reebok's other brands, like Rockport and Greg Norman's line of golf wear, with Adidas's other lines, including its Solomon ski franchise and its TaylorMade golf equipment and apparel business.