How can a name define you? Your name within itself can help people understand the person you are or it can define the business you run. A name could make separate your business from all competition and living in the minds of the people that were there with you from the start or just recognizing your talent. For Travis Singleton, the name of Sneaker Reporter defines both his passion for basketball sneakers and telling the bigger story championing the athletes we all know and love.
Sneaker Reporter came from the judgment and even laughed from other reports in suits and ties that may not have taken you seriously. However, the ability to stick out among all other reporters, while wearing casual clothing and sneakers to express yourself had NBA Athlete noticing, and while it was great to speak to someone about basketball sneakers Travis takes pride in his chosen profession. Keep the main thing the main thing which is reporting on the games of basketball.
His passion for reporting a story and speaking to guys that other big companies see as an afterthought help him build a relationship with Paul George prior to his time in Oklahoma City, and his interview with the team best defender at the time André Roberson were the two talked for 30-minute about everything from sneakers to what he wanted to do during his career would eventually land him a position to cover the team for the next few years before taking a new opportunity with the Houston Rockets.
As a kid from Dorchester who would’ve believed that his passion for having the illest sneakers would lead to this journey of seeing Russell Westbrook win an MVP, being featured on NBA 2k, and creating a foundation that’s focused on giving away free sneakers to children in the community in exchange for kids making the honor roll in school under the name Kicks for Grades.
Because of everything that he has done through his passion for sneakers is why I’ve decided to spotlight the creator/Editor and Chief of Sneaker Reporter.com on this week’s installment of No Deadstock and as an added bonus below is a video of our interview in its entirety.
How was your time in high school your introduction into/love for sneaker culture
Being in that whole culture, that whole vibe everybody at school had the crazy heat. Once I went to high school I was like wait a minute, hold up I need to get on this Jordan wave, there’s a whole other level of sneakerheads that I need to join. I started realizing all the cool kids had the illest Jordans whether it be Jordan 13’s, 10’s, 12’s whatever it may be at the time…There was a whole bunch of people at high school that put me on so I was like man I want to join this wave…Seeing the culture, this is back when Jordans would come out on Wednesdays, so kids would be skipping school just to get the Jordans and come to school with the new J’s that just dropped I just loved that culture. It felt like a lot of the people that had swagger and were popular, and when I got my first job at Wal-Greens I was like “Oh It’s over.”
So be able to ask questions about sneakers pre-game, but still, ask the questions people might not be willing to ask post-game. Did that earn you respect amongst your peers in the media?
I feel like it did over time, I was trying to fit the mold wearing a suit and tie combination with dress shoes, but a lot of the older heads (OG)in the sports journalist community were like that kind of ain’t you type thing. Just be yourself, you’ll find your niche just be patient. After talking to a lot of people in the Boston Media they were like why don’t you wear sneakers and casual clothing. You could be the “Sneaker Reporter,” be able to twist two things into one, so that how the name came about. I feel like a lot of people started to respect me when I started asking questions about the sneaker community but at the same time going viral with in-game stuff too. I would ask KD (Kevin Durant) about the KD 7 way in advance while the KD 6 and get everything on that. While at the end of the game I would talk to him about how great he was that game and what he could’ve done better. Then he praises Greg Popovich and that goes viral and that just one night where sneaker stuff goes viral and at the same time, the in-game stuff goes viral as well. That was always my envision to make sure I’ve got people that can be versatile, you don’t have to stay in one lane and talk about the sneakers whatever on your mind you can express yourself. I feel now I’ve gained the respect of my peers but I always feel like there’s room for improvement and I’ve got to continue to get better because I’ve got you guys looking at what I’m doing, a little sister looking at what I’m doing so I’ve got to continue to put my foot on that gas and try to get to that next level no matter what it is.
So how did the partnership between New Balance and Yourself come about?
I wouldn’t call it a partnership yet were still growing, I would call it mutual respect. In Boston, all you would see is older/ mature people running around the park. Nobody was rocking New Balance like that but they definitely grow on me over time especially with the Omini Ones that caught my attention. That a shoe that came out of nowhere and I was like I could rock with this. I think it was a situation of the rebuild/rebrand of their basketball department I thought was just dope. I definitely have to support them because they’re a Boston-based brand and see what they’ve done and gone forward I would definitely want to get a collab with them if I can. My ultimate goal is to be the first reporter that got his own collab, I think that would separate me and take me to that next level. At the end of the day, there’s only one Sneaker Reporter.
So would you say his one of the reasons for your opportunity with the Thunder? Tell me about that leap of faith to contact the Thunder for this opportunity.
It was just a vibe. I was still covering the Celtics when I went out there but at the same time the vibe with the whole Oklahoma City it was there. There were like “Oklahoma City missing something like what you do somebody who can give you the best of both worlds, it would be dope if you could come out here.” So I reached out after doing my due diligence to see if I could make it happen and the Thunder welcomed me with open arms. It was just love from the jump, sometime you got to leave home in order to get the notary that you deserve or get that opportunity. When I went there it was all love, It felt like that whole Oklahoma move really made sense because I had people there I knew from networking over the years. I think that Andre Robinson’s interview definitely helped out as well. I was already comfortable with him and he ended up becoming one of my bros, someone I could just talk to and lean on. It’s just deeper than basketball at the end of the day and I cherish those moments. When I cover people, I’m covering you but I’m supporting you at the same time because a lot of journalists take about the game and not what they’ve (the players) got going on outside the game. Fundraisers, different charities, whatever it may be that’s the aspect I’m trying to bring too. I’m supporting another brother out here… When a player knows your supporting them inside and outside the arena the sky’s the limit from there because you’ve got that mutual respect.
So what was that conversation with Ronnie 2k like?
It’s weird because the director hit me and was like, “Just tell Ronnie this is who you are, I’m a tell him who you are.” And it kind of just got done, now I’ll reach out to Ronnie to check up on him, I’ll have a small conversation with him over time but it was never a big conversation… it just got done, I don’t know how to describe it but I’m appreciative of my boy Alex he definitely put me in the position. I remember when I first saw myself in 2k, I called my Mom and I cried. That feeling was deeper than the game. It’s so crazy going from playing it to being in the game it was a special feeling and nothing I would ever change man when I saw it was definitely surreal.
For those kids who may not be able to get the most hyped kicks due to whatever reason, what is your hope the Kicks for Grades program will impact the lives of its participants?
It’s all about motivation and a little bit of jealously, if you don’t get picked you’ll be like I’m going keep these grades and I’m a win next year. On top of that, you get jealous when you see some of your peers win and you’re like man I could’ve had those if my grades were better. So it encourages and motivates in a good way… So I think it’s all about just encouraging them and motivating them that anything is possible. These kids are the leaders of tomorrow, just being in a position to make sure the kids are taken care of I think that’s a big deal. So we’re going to continue to keep it going, it’s all about motivating those kids to continue to get those good grades. Yeah, you get rewarded but at the same time, there going to be rewarded for life with the education and knowledge they get.
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