Dennis Rodman’s most notable stint in the NBA features his time with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. After winning the fifth NBA title of his career in 1998, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1998-99 season.
Rodman’s time with the Lakers lasted for just one season, and it didn’t go how he liked it to be. In a recent interview with VladTV, Dennis Rodman revealed Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal didn’t like him when he joined the Lakers.
“It was hard,” Rodman said. “It was hard because I knew the fact that Shaq and Kobe wouldn’t like me. Jerry Buss, he loved me [because] I used to date his daughter. So I was dating his daughter at the time. We dated for like six months. I knew Kobe and Shaq wouldn’t like me because the whole attention became Dennis.
“It shifted from them to me quick. You could see it in the stands and see it in the city. I’m not trying to do anything. They rarely would talk to me, even in games and stuff like that, they would rarely talk to me. I think that’s the main reason why they cut me. I think they went to the upper head and they didn’t want me there anymore.”
Dennis Rodman previously complained about Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal being jealous of him. According to the Worm, that’s the main reason why the Lakers let go of him just after one season.
How Was Dennis Rodman’s Time With The Los Angeles Lakers?
Dennis Rodman played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1998-99 NBA lockout season. The then 37-year-old featured in just 23 games for the Purple and Gold.
He averaged 2.1 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 1.3 APG for the Lakers. The Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference Semifinals as they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
Rodman’s time with the Lakers was far from ideal. The Worm left the team in free agency as he signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The five-time NBA champion made just 12 appearances for the Mavericks as he was waived by the franchise in March 2000.
Rodman was 38 years old at the time, and the Mavs were his last NBA team in his career. After that, he didn’t play for three years, and then he changed six teams from 2003 to 2006 when he played for Long Beach Jam, Fuerza Regia, Orange County Crush, Torpan Pojat, Tijuana Dragons, and Brighton Bears.
Finally, after 20 years of NBA and international career, Dennis Rodman decided to retire from basketball in 2006 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
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