What’s Happening With Travis Scott, John McEnroe and the Nike Mac Attack?

News on this release was first published on December 13, 2023.

Update December 12, 2023: It appears the 'fight' has been settled, with the official name surfacing on SNKRS. We're still pretty dubious that the beef was real in the first place, but nonetheless, it seems John and Travis have settled on 'Attack x Cactus Jack'. We're sure Travis is happy it no longer sounds like a burger and John feels he got the 'little respect' he was asking for. If this was indeed legit, we hope everybody is friends again as a result of the compromise. In the meantime, stay locked to Sneaker Freaker for more updates on where to buy the Attack x Cactus Jack when it drops.

There may be a storm brewing at Nike over the upcoming Travis Scott x Nike Mac Attack, as Scott and John McEnroe throw shade at each other about the name of the collaborative retro. Either that, or the Cactus Jack rapper and hot-headed tennis star are getting really creative with their shoe’s marketing campaign.

A leaked Zoom call has surfaced featuring Travis Scott and John McEnroe arguing over the name of Scott’s upcoming Nike Mac Attack. First debuting in 1984, the Nike Mac Attack was McEnroe’s signature shoe, and they’ve recently become a cult favourite for sneakerheads, including Travis Scott and Lebron James. The long-awaited Nike Mac Attack is obviously expected to feature Scott's Cactus Jack branding, but there's somebody not down with that plan.

What are Travis Scott and John McEnroe fighting about?

In the leaked Zoom call, McEnroe and Scott bump heads over what to call Scott’s remix of McEnroe’s signature shoe: the ‘Cactus Jack’ or the ‘Cactus Mac’. McEnroe obviously championed the ‘Mac’ version, but Scott wasn’t having it, leading to McEnroe throwing a signature temper tantrum.

The recording begins with McEnroe already feeling some type of way: ‘Goddamnit, Travis! Jenny is right. Let’s have a bit of a compromise here. Her suggestion is to do a Cactus Mac thing for this one shoe, instead of Cactus Jack.'

‘But John – Somebody on here gotta correct me if I’m wrong,’ Scott replies. ‘This is my first time I’m hearing about this s***. Cactus Mac was never a thing.’

This fires up McEnroe: ‘Come on man, show a little respect, this is my shoe!’

But Scott stands firm: ‘I’m not really feeling it. Something about it feels a little off. Sounds like a burger or something. I ain’t trying to take nothing away from you, I ain’t trying to disrespect. I ain’t trying to do nothing like that.’ Scott then tries to deescalate the situation: ‘Trust me. I know more about the knowledge of the shoe, probably than anybody. But like, right now, you know, the young range is really the ones that's kind of pushing the needle for what's going on right now. I mean, you just gotta trust me on this, bro.'

McEnroe then tries to show his tenure with an old photo, presumably of him wearing the shoes when they first released, which Scott disregards, leading to McEnroe abruptly leaving the call. A displeased Scott remarks on McEnroe’s departure while various confused Nike staffers can be heard awkwardly trying to move on.

John McEnroe and Travis Scott add fuel to the fire

Not long after the call was leaked, McEnroe was featured on The People’s Gallery on December 10. When asked about the feud with Scott, McEnroe reveals that he’s in fact wearing the Travis Scott Mac x Attacks, but with a little twist. The Cactus Jack logo on the heel has the Jack struck out and Mac written above in what looks like a Sharpie…

‘Okay the thing is I was wearing these things in the 80s,' McEnroe says. ‘Before this guy was born, now all of a sudden Travis Scott’s got this thing Cactus Jack, so I just made it Cactus Mac. A little respect, that’s all I’m asking for.’ He then finishes by revealing a ‘Cactus Mac’ t-shirt then saying, ‘Cactus Jack, no, Cactus Mac, yes, Travis'.

Scott clapped back when he was recorded tagging up a John McEnroe plaque with orange spray paint, giving cartoonish 'is the coast clear' looks over his shoulder as he does it.

Is this real beef or a publicity stunt?

Considering how quickly the People’s Gallery interview popped up after the leaked Zoom call and that McEnroe appeared with props, and Scott's cartoonish 'bad boy' response, it seems highly likely that this is just one big marketing stunt. McEnroe is famous for his temper, as seen in many outbursts during matches, so it’s on brand, as the tennis star is aware of his reputation and has parodied himself in the past, including a cameo in the Adam Sandler film Mr Deeds. So with the notion that all press is good press, perhaps this is just to get us more hyped for the shoes. We were pretty hyped to begin with, but you do you, boys.

Read our brief history on the Mac Attack.