1996 NBA FINALS WATCH

How cool is Rodman?

Just ask Clint Filichia and John Tamkin, co-owners of the “Daddy 66” clothing line, who were struggling designers until the Chicago Bulls’ eccentric forward wore one of their T-shirts.

The Chicago-based company sold apparel out of the trunks of their cars, and with minimal success, until Rodman wore a sleeveless T-shirt with the company’s “Daddy 66,” logo on MTV’s “House of Style.” Since then, the company’s owners say that their entire stock has sold out.

“Just like that everybody wants them,” Filichia said. “We’ve ordered 10,000 more units.”

Filichia gave Rodman three shirts at the “Crobar” nightclub last Friday where Filichia works as a cashier. He approached Rodman--a regular at the club--while Rodman was smoking cigars with friends.

“He was just puffing away and I showed him the T-shirts,” Filichia said. “[Rodman] said ‘I’d wear that.’ ”

Rodman was also photographed by Chicago newspapers wearing the shirt, and has become somewhat of an unofficial spokesman for the label.

“He could be charging companies a lot of money to be seen in their clothes but he didn’t ask us for anything,” Filichia said. “It was a very cool thing to do.”