Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman is a retired professional basketball player from the United States of America. He played for teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) including the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls, winning 5 NBA Championships with both of them combined. He also played internationally and in his retirement, he became known for his association with North Korea.

As a player, Rodman is perhaps best remembered not only for his illustrious career but also for his colorful personality.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Dennis Keith Rodman was born on May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey in the United States of America. He stands 201 cm tall and his weight was last listed as 103 kg. He received a lot of nicknames throughout his playing career including The Worm, Dennis the Menace, Country, Psycho, Rodzilla, Demolition Man, and El Loco.

His ‘bad boy’ personality reportedly came from his attempts to cope with an unhappy childhood. He repeatedly clashed with other players and constantly interrupted games with his behavior.

His sisters Debra and Kim went on to play college basketball as well.

He was briefly married to actress Carmen Electra and had a public relationship with singer Madonna. He wrote an autobiography, ‘Bad as I Wanna Be’ in 1996, and wore a wedding dress to promote it.

High School and College Career

Rodman attended the South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas. Later, he committed to play for the North Central Texas College in 1983 before transferring to the Southeastern Oklahoma State University and playing there from 1983–1986.

He was not considered an athletic standout when he was in high school but he was in the gym class of Gary Blair, who would go on to coach at Texas A&M. After high school, he worked as a janitor at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and when he experienced a growth spurt, he decided to try for basketball again.

He started his college career playing for North Texas before transferring to Southern Oklahoma. While there, he befriended Byrne Rich whose family turned into a sort of surrogate family for Rodman.

Professional Career

He joined the NBA in 1986 and was a 2nd-round, 27th-overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. He played with the team until 1993, and in that time, won two NBA Championships with them.

From 1993 to 1995, he played for the San Antonio Spurs before eventually signing with the Chicago Bulls in 1995. He was there just in time for one of their threepeat NBA Championships from 1996 to 1998.

In the time he played for the Pistons and the Bulls, he was also named an NBA All-Star twice and was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. Between 1992 and 1998, he was also the NBA Rebounding Champion.

After his career with the Bulls, he transferred from one team to another, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks in 1999 and 2000. From 2003 to 2004, he played for the NBA G League team, the Long Beach Jam.

In 2004, he played for Fuerza Regia. Then from 2004 to 2005, he was with the Orange County Crush. Other teams he played for include the Torpan Pojat, Tijuana Dragons, and the Brighton Bears.

Later, Jersey Number 10 was retired by the Pistons in his honor. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

In addition to his basketball career, he also became a professional wrestler from 1997 to 1999. He also made media appearances, including in Donald Trump’s The Apprentice.

A Basketball Hall of Famer, Rodman’s career statistics are 6,683 points, 11,954 rebounds, and 1,600 assists.

Career Highlights and Awards

• 1989, 1990, 1996–1998 - NBA champion
• 1990, 1992 - NBA All-Star
• 1992, 1995 - All-NBA Third Team
• 1990, 1991 - NBA Defensive Player of

the Year

• 1989–1993, 1995, 1996 - NBA

All-Defensive First Team

• 1994 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
• 1992–1998 - NBA rebounding champion
• 1992 - IBM Award
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team
• No. 10 retired by Detroit Pistons
• 1984–19861984–1986 - NAIA

All-American