Speaking on ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, Lakers legend James Worthy shed some light on what it was like playing against one of the NBA’s most outrageous characters. Describing him as a “bad man” Worthy would go on to explain how Dennis Rodman was an absolute killer in the day who often used mental warfare to get his opponents out of their rhythm.
“He had the psychological games to get in your head. Before the game, you’d give him a dap. He squeezed my a*s a little too… It wasn’t like, ‘Let’s go’… So now you’re thinking,” joked Worthy. “So now you’re running down the court thinking about this mother f–ker. while he getting every offensive rebound there is.”
Rodman’s mind games were…different 😳
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With Rodman, it wasn’t just his quick mouth that made him so formidable. He was able to back up his words with strong play on the inside thanks to excellent footwork, fearless physically, and a determined pursuit of victory. If not for some of his crazier off-court behavior, his career might be remembered differently today.
Dennis Rodman Is Highly Controversial
On the court, there is no denying that Dennis made a huge impact. For his first seven seasons in Detroit, he made two All-Star teams and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1990 and 1991, when he averaged a combined 8.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks per game. By the time he joined the Bulls in 1995, he had no problem adapting his game to fit alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
The real problem for Rodman comes from all of his antics in the real world. Throughout his career, the 5x Champion has sparked debate about his wild and eccentric lifestyle. Living a sort of “double life,” Rodman used to act as a player for the Bulls during the day only to go wild with parties at night. In fact, Rodman himself once admitted that he used to spend all night drinking shots at the club before going to practice and doing it over again the next day. Somehow, Rodman was able to maintain this pace for over 10 years until he retired in 2000 as a basketball legend.
Dennis Rodman And The Bad Boy Pistons
Rodman’s early careers were spent with the “Bad Boy” Pistons, and he became a crucial member of their championship wins in 1989 and 1990. That was just the start of a long and successful career for Rodman, but it set the stage for what kind of player he’d be remembered as. With the “Bad Boys,” Dennis walked a tight line between acceptable physicality and dirty play that is still often criticized today. Back then, tactics like the ones described above were normal for teams — especially the Pistons, who made a lot of enemies during their back-to-back titles. Among them was Jordan himself, who condemned the Bad Boys before becoming teammates with Rodman years later.
Today, many of the methods used by Rodman and the Bad Boys are outright banned by the league, and the “mind games” that Jerry West fell victim to are a thing of the past. But it’s not gonna stop the legends from speaking on their own experience in the league and highlighting the kind of struggles they faced, which often get taken for granted today.
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