Dennis Rodman is asking fans to “do their own research,” and he’s not happy about it. It’s rare to see the NBA legend this upset—usually, it’s everyone else who finds themselves on Rodman’s bad side. But this time, the source of his frustration isn’t a fellow player or coach, but Houston rapper Travis Scott. The reason? Scott’s collaboration with Nike’s Jordan Brand and the now-iconic reverse swoosh.

Scott’s reverse swoosh design, seen on the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike Air Force 1 Low, took the sneaker world by storm. Fans loved the unique twist, and the sneakers became an instant hit. But Rodman wants everyone to know this isn’t the first time the backward swoosh has made an appearance.

Rodman feels that he should get the credit for introducing the reverse swoosh back in the 90s when he wore his own line of Nike sneakers featuring the same flipped logo. Now, he’s calling out Scott and Nike, suggesting that the rapper’s design is nothing new and that fans should recognize where the trend really started.

Dennis Rodman is upset with Nike and Travis Scott 

Well, the Jordan Brand’s collaboration with Scott has been the most successful seen so far. The craze and frenzy in the market for Scott’s shoes are almost unbelievable.  Every sneaker enthusiast wants a piece of it. It was almost surprising when Rodman claimed that his ’90s designs were copied by the brand’s creations, specifically those by Scott. Not just because of the claims, but also because of several other reasons.

The 5x champion believes that the particular design of shoes designed by Scott, such as the reverse swoosh, was first popularized by him. He said these features have been copied from his signature shoes, Nike Ndestrukt. These were embellished on Rodman’s first branded shoes, Air Darwin.

“Travis Scott has copied my shoe. I was the first guy to do mine backward when I was playing with the Chicago Bulls,” Rodman claimed. He is really upset with Jordan Brand copying the design without giving proper credit.“Come on, Travis, give us some credit. You copied my shoe. So this ain’t new. This ain’t new, brother. But either way, congratulations,” the Worm seemed to concede. Only, he didn’t.

While we may not know whether the accusations are correct, one thing is evident, Rodman’s signature shoes were highly popular. These even gave a tough competition to Michael Jordan’s shoes.

Whatever the truth, Rodman hasn’t shown mercy in criticizing Nike. He publicly slammed the brand during an interview at the Got Sole event in Chicago for not giving credit to the original design.

“So I don’t know why Travis Scott trying to copy the original DR – Dennis Rodman. Nike, you should be ashamed of yourself with Travis Scott. What the f**k man!” Rodman voiced his frustration.

Interestingly, Scott isn’t the first to embellish the reverse swoosh on shoes. The Kobe AD NXT, which came out in 2017, also featured the same. However, it wasn’t until Scott’s shoes that Rodman called out both the brand and the rapper. The first shoe featuring this design was released in 2019, flaunting a chocolate and beige colorway. As surprising as it may seem, Rodman has no personal issue with Scott.

Dennis Rodman praised Travis Scott

Despite all the controversy, Scott is quite a genius in his own right. This is something Rodman himself acknowledges. He admitted that his intention was never to criticize the rapper but the design being copied without giving credit. The Chicago Bulls legend praised the Houston rapper, admitting that his designs are impressive. 

“I knew Travis back when he first started and stuff like that. He’s a hell of a talent, he is great. A lot of people say he’s the biggest in the world. I give him credit,” Rodman confessed while comparing with rapper Kanye West.

However, he is still confident in his claims. Holding a shoe from Scott’s collection, he asked the enthusiasts to take a closer look and understand the similarities. We are no expert in that, but what is sure is Rodman’s intention, which is to get credit for the original design. 

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.