Devon Rodriguez Deletes $100 Knicks Print Posts After Artist Alleges Copying
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Devon Rodriguez Deletes $100 Knicks Print Posts After Artist Alleges Copying
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 18
Summary
Hours after the Knicks’ first NBA title in more than 50 years, Devon Rodriguez deleted social posts and pulled prints priced just under $100 after Brooklyn artist Gavin Snider accused him of copying a celebratory watercolor.
Snider said Rodriguez’s version mirrored his work in specific details — the skyline, foam finger, Knicks flag and even jersey numbers — after the Knicks had shared Snider’s painting on their own accounts.
Rodriguez, who has nearly 34 million TikTok followers, had asked fans to comment “CHAMPS” if they wanted to buy a print; he did not answer questions about the painting.
The dispute puts fresh scrutiny on a social-media art star whose audience and commercial reach are vast — Rodriguez said in 2021 that sponsored commissions brought in $20,000 to $30,000 each.