- Steve Kerr found it surprising that Dennis Rodman didn’t score much
- Dennis Rodman was the Bulls’ dominant rebounding presence
- Rodman did have great scoring games during his time with the Detroit Pistons
Former Chicago Bulls star Steve Kerr felt it was bizarre how his teammate Dennis Rodman took pride in not scoring much.
Rodman was a dominant defensive presence for the Chicago Bulls in his three seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and while he didn’t drop double-figure points every night, he was their ferocious rebounder, ensuring that he was under the rim fending off his opponents with his rebounding. This puzzled Kerr who noted that about Rodman on the Tolbert, Krueger, and Brooks Podcast.
“I think he took great pride in not scoring. It was really bizarre. When we were in Chicago together, he would have games where he would get an offensive board and literally have a layup, and he would just throw it back out, I think hoping that we would miss another shot so that he could get another offensive board.”
It’s not surprising to hear Kerr’s thoughts. While he frequently had the rock in his hands, Rodman wasn’t much of a shooter as he attempted only 4.8 shots per game during his time with the Bulls
But what the move did was benefit the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as Rodman’s rebounding helped them share the ball and score at will. And to him, it was a science, as much as an art.
One of the best instances was when ‘The Worm’ notched up 28 rebounds, but zero points during his time with the San Antonio Spurs. David Robinson and Dale Ellis combined for 55 points, but it was the forward’s performance that played a key role against the Charlotte Hornets to help his team record a 92-88 win.
While he did sacrifice his scoring, there was no doubt that his efforts ensured mammoth scoring stats for his teammates. Barring the Toronto Raptors, Rodman had 20+ career-high rebounds against all other teams in the NBA. And in our eyes, this makes him the rightful GOAT of rebounding.
That Didn’t Mean Dennis Rodman Couldn’t Shoot
While Dennis Rodman never made massive scoring contributions during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers, or the Dallas Mavericks, it wasn’t to say he couldn’t score.
Much of his scoring though came during his time with the Detroit Pistons in his formative years. In the 1990-91 season, the five-time NBA champion propped up a career-high 34 points on 15-of-21 shooting. In 1989, he had 32 points coupled with 21 boards, and in another instance of a 30-point game, he had 30 points and 18 rebounds in 1988.
Overall, Rodman averaged 8.8 points in his seven seasons with the Pistons, the most in his career. He ended his 14 seasons in the league averaging 7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Quite simply, Rodman could shoot. But he did the grunt work that was expected of him and that was crucial for his side. In his days, he was one of the most unique stars in the NBA.
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