In preparation for Episode 3 of The Last Dance, we take a look at how Dennis Rodman impacted the Chicago Bulls on and off the court.
The most eccentric member of the Chicago Bulls had tattoos, piercings, and ever-changing hair colors. Traits that sound more like a description of a member in a punk band than that of a Hall of Fame basketball player. And yet, these defining features are what make Dennis Rodman the iconic third member of the NBA’s greatest basketball team just as much as his ridiculous rebounding prowess.
A pop culture icon, Rodman was way ahead of his time and a precursor to the generation of NBA players today that we see walking the tunnels trying to get off a fit for the gram. Rodman’s penchant for brash stylings, dating celebrities, and forging friendships with famous musicians make him ‘goals’ for the Kyle Kuzma’s of the world. If Rodman were a young player coming up in today’s league, he would be the dude with the huge Instagram following, dating Kylie Jenner, and hanging out with Travis Scott.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how good Rodman was as a hooper because of how polarizing he was in the mid to late 90’s when he came to the realization that he’d rather be true to himself than continue to internalize his individuality. Before he made his way to Chicago he was already a two time champion as a member of the Bad Boy Pistons. Standing at just 6-foot-7 Rodman is probably the greatest board man off all time. His knack for positioning himself in all the right spots and reading the angles of how the ball would come off the rim was jaw dropping to hoops junkies.
The irony to Rodman’s flashy outward persona was that he was ok being the bass player in the band. With Michael Jordan on vocals and Scottie Pippen on lead guitar, Rodman was the glue that blended the songs together. He would set screens, move the ball, and do all the dirty work that is necessary to win at the highest level. He didn’t need to score points to stand out, his stage presence did that for him.
By the time we get to the 98 playoffs during that Last Dance season, Rodman was pretty cooked. Whether it was age (he turned 37 during the second round) or the partying (the infamous Vegas trip) that had caught up to him, Rodman had clearly lost a step or two. Defensively Rodman was slow on rotations to the rim.
Offensively he would give Darryl Morey a stroke the way that he would kill spacing by moving aimlessly towards the paint. He could barely make it to half court when the Bulls were running in transition. And yet, you’d look at the box score at the end of the game and he’d have 20 rebounds.
Like a rock band that was way past their prime Rodman still knew how to do what he did best. He had been playing the hits for years. He may not have been moving around the stage the same way he did earlier in his career, but when the lights came on and he looked out into the crowd, with number six on the line…the Worm could still rock the stage.