Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman

Dennis Keith Rodman is a New Jersey born African American ex-NBA player who played for numerous teams during his career.  He acquired the nickname “The Worm” and is famously known for his defensive and rebounding abilities as well as dyeing his hair with artificial colors. He has earned many awards and honors for his performance mainly the NBA All-Defensive First Team honors which he received seven times as well as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award twice. He won the NBA championships five times and was one of the best rebounding players in the history of NBA. He also secured a leading position in rebounds per game in the NBA for seven consecutive years.

Dennis Rodman came from a troubled home. His childhood experiences with his father leaving and his mother working four jobs to keep the family afloat has had a lasting impact on his personality. He was brought up with his two sisters Debra and Kim. Unable to cop his insecurity around women and the relationship he had with his sisters coupled with the other stressors in his life, he almost attempted suicide in 1993. However, after that episode, he re-invented himself as a notorious “bad boy” and struggled to keep himself out of harms’ way. After numerous attempts at trying to make it to the team, he got selected to go to a pre-draft camp set for potential NBA players. There he won the Most Valuable Players honors and that helped him get drafter for Detroit Pistons.

Dennis Rodman got picked in 1986 and his team was called “Bad Boys” for the way they approached each game. He got himself a reputation when he started taunting the opposing teams and during the 1988-1989 season, remained on the bench. Despite this, he provided effective defense strategies and got voted the All-Defensive Team first eight times in his career. He did another stint with San Antonio Spurs and changed his playing position to a power forward. He was still getting into trouble with the front office as well as the opposing team, head-butting Stacey King and John Stockton and being suspended for a while. In his own words; “I’m just trying to be my own man…”

He then moved to the Chicago Bulls in 1995 and played alongside the famous Scottie Pippen and iconic Michael Jordan. He spent another couple of years playing before getting suspended from the 1996 – 1997 NBA season and made his move into his Wrestling career. He entered into the ring with his longtime friend Hulk Hogan in 1997 at the Bash at the Beach Event. However, his team lost to Lex Luger and the Giant. In the August of 1997 during the Road Wild Event, he hit Lex Luger with a baseball bat enabling the Hollywood Hulk Hogan to win back his WCW World Heavyweight Championship. His signature moves included Big Boot, Russian Legsweep, Sleep Holder and Diving Clothesline among others. In the same year, he starred in his film debut Double Team along with Jean-Claude Van Damme and won three Golden Raspberry Awards; Worst New Star, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple. He also featured in Simon Sez in 1996. Rodman’s personal life is just as interesting. He had a publicly shared relationship with Madonna and a brief marriage to actress and model Carmen Electra. He has three kids from his marriage to Annie Bakes and Michelle Moyer.

In 2011, Rodman’s old Pistons No. 10 jersey was retired and a year later, Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also the author of five books; his most recent one called Dennis the Wild Bull.


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