Dennis Rodman beat Michael Jordan many times as a Detroit Piston, but “The Worm” was also victorious over His Airness in a signature sneaker war. In a conversation with Jonathan DiModica of Got Sole , Rodman revealed Jordan was so pissed at him because Worm’s shoe sales surpassed Air Jordans back in 1996.
Rodman said: “Michael talked to me and said, ‘Dennis, (bleep) you.’ What about? ‘Cause your shoes are outselling mine. I was like, ‘Really?’ He wanted that logo. He wanted that style.”
That Rodman shoe in question was the Nike Air Shake Ndestrukt. It has a unique logo and body design consistent with The Worm’s eccentricity. Low-top shoes were rare back then, especially for big men, but the Ndestrukt was the first to play with the idea. Besides the oversized backward Swoosh, the sneaker featured asymmetrical lacing, a unique logo, and a durable outsole that could withstand indoor and outdoor play.
As Rodman revealed, Jordan coveted the Ndestrukt “memory jogging” logo, but Nike had other plans. The company let The Worm carry the torch, and it worked to perfection.
Not a Big Air Jordan Fan
While the entire basketball fandom was enamored with Mike’s signature line, Dennis wasn’t.
“When I was playing in Chicago, I’ve never worn Michael Jordan shoe,” Rodman said.
Rodman also revealed Jordan didn’t even bother giving him any of his shoes when they joined forces for the Chicago Bulls. That didn’t affect him; instead, he focused on winning championships and did not care about some silly sneaker battle. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year also took a slight dig at his former teammate, saying all of MJ’s shoes looked basically the same.
In another interview with Complex , Rodman told the same story. He said he had never bought a pair of Air Jordans in his life, although that didn’t come from a place of animosity. It’s just as simple as he never thought of buying one, and that’s all there was to it.
‘I Didn’t Realize It Was So Popular’
In that same Complex interview, Rodman remembered he was like a kid in a candy store upon learning his signature shoes were a hit.
“At the time, I didn’t realize that this was really so popular,” added Rodman. “I started sending people in the stands, on the street right – ‘I’m actually selling shoes, huh?’. They did something really cool with this shoe, so I’m like ‘Thank you!’”
It’s not every day that someone or something outshines the supernova that is Michael Jordan. For some reason, it makes absolute sense that it’s Dennis Rodman and the Ndestruct who did it.
Related: "The guy never gets tired" - Dennis Rodman played 45 minutes in a game then hit the weight room
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