Dennis Rodman’s career hit a downward spiral after the forward parted ways with the Chicago Bulls.
“The Worm” took his talents to Los Angeles in 1999, but was cut from the team 23 games into his Lakers tenure. Dennis still put up solid numbers — he averaged 2.1 points and 11.2 rebounds — but couldn’t stand Kobe and Shaq complaining all the time to the point he became destructive to the team’s locker room.
Some people wondered at the time why Rodman failed to maintain his form, especially mentally, when he had just won his third NBA title. However, Michael Jordan saw the fallout coming.
“It didn’t surprise me very much. Very few people can deal with Dennis. We did a good job with that. I don’t know if there’s anyone else out there who can deal with him. He carries a lot of baggage,” Jordan told the Los Angeles Times after the Lakers waived his former teammate.
Harper thought Dennis loved the game
During Rodman’s controversial seven-week stint with the purple and gold, Shaquille O’Neal said, “the L.A. media made more out of Dennis off the court than it really was to the team.”
The 6’7″ forward, whether intentionally or unintentionally, amplified his bad boy persona when he arrived in Hollywood. After the Lakers gave up on him, “The Worm” was signed by the Dallas Mavericks. However, it was clear that playing and winning were no longer Rodman’s priorities.
Unlike Jordan, former Bulls guard Ron Harper never thought the two-time All-Star would lose his focus and passion for the game.
“I thought he would last. You know, you only hear about half the stuff he does. But he never refused to go into a game [in Chicago]. I thought he loved the game,” Harp said.
Only Phil knew how to handle Dennis
In retrospect, MJ was right when he said that not all people could deal with Rodman. The San Antonio Spurs definitely couldn’t, and only the Bulls managed to squeeze the best out of the seven-time rebounding champ, specifically coach Phil Jackson.
According to “The Zen Master,” he knew right from the start that he would let Rodman be himself as long as he was helping the team get to where they wanted to be. Surprisingly, it worked.
“He’s extremely individualistic,” Jackson said after the Bulls signed Dennis in 1995. “He believes in his own individual nature. He likes to have freedom and the expression that he has. We think that’s O.K. as long as it stays within the team confines of playing ball together.”
Looking back, Rodman could’ve had a few productive years in the NBA if the teams that acquired him adopted the Bulls’ approach in managing Dennis. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and the Hall of Famer played only 35 games after leaving Chicago.