words & image // Zack Schlemmer
For you younger readers that may not know, Dennis Rodman was not always the tattooed, pierced, rainbow hair colored, questionably dressed man he is known as today. Early in his career with the Detroit Pistons, where he helped win two NBA Championships, he was a much tamer looking individual. Also, before wearing Nike and Converse where he had signature models, he was endorsed by Reebok. Here we have a commercial featuring Dennis and the classic Reebok Omni Pump Lite for the "Pump Up and Air Out" ad campaign.
With an early look at his acting skills you would later see (or probably didn't see) in his action blockbuster film Double Team with Jean Claude Van Damme, Dennis lets you know why he chooses the Omni Pump Lite for his Defensive MVP feet. The "Pump Up and Air Out" campaign was a direct reference to Nike Air and a bold statement to a rival company that you don't often see in advertisement today. In this commercial Dennis even tosses away a Nike Air Command Force (worn by his future teammate David Robinson). Apparently his opinion of Nike Air was swayed when he later signed with Nike and wore celebrated models like the Air Darwin, Air Shake Ndestrukt, and his official signature model, the Air Worm.
After the video is a look at Dennis on a card direct from the Kicks on Cards archives wearing the very same Omni Pump Lite.
