Dennis Rodman is considered one of the greatest rebounders the game has to offer. His uncompromising attitude to the game and his life earned him a large following. The flashy power forward has been the focus of attention for many years and has a wealth of anecdotes to share about his varied off-court exploits. The Hall of Famer famously told a story about going to Las Vegas in the middle of the season and having his teammate Michael Jordan pick him up.
What happened and why did Michael Jordan go to Las Vegas to bring back Dennis Rodman?
In the Michael Jordan documentary, The Last Dance, the NBA legend has highlighted the incident. But let’s hear it from Dennis Rodman who spoke about the incident on the Full Send Podcast.
Rodman stated that no one would have approached a head coach the way he did when with the Chicago Bulls. He explained that he was tired of doing the same thing every day, so he went to the great Phil Jackson and told him that he was bored and wanted to travel to Las Vegas to “get his mind right” in the middle of the season.
Interestingly, Coach Jackson gave him two days to visit Las Vegas. Rodman flew to Las Vegas and began partying as soon as Jackson permitted him. However, he did not return to Chicago even after the two days allowed.
Michael Jordan eventually went to pick the man up
“On the third day, I’m still in Vegas partying my a** off, partying my a** off. Fourth day, I’m partying my a** off, partying my a** off. Who comes to Vegas to pick me up? Michael Jordan. ‘Dennis you gotta come back and play!’ I agree,” Dennis shared.
Rodman claimed to be in good spirits after a few days in Vegas. He continued saying, “What happened when I went back? I was alive now. I was ready to rock!”
Rodman and Michael Jordan had a weird friendship. The two did not say much to each other. But they knew they could rely on one another when it counted the most. Rodman was a standout rebounder and defender who established himself as the team’s defensive backbone.
At 6’7″, Rodman topped the league in rebounds for seven consecutive seasons. His agility and passion to defend allowed him to protect anyone on the floor. Not everyone could say they could protect a peak Shaquille O’Neal on the low block.
He once revealed that he wanted to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, which is why he sobbed when he won it and knew how important it was for him.
