Dennis Rodman’s life has seen it all. From a meteoric rise to a crushing low, the former Chicago Bulls legend had his share of drama every step of the way, but that didn’t stop him from charting a career as one of the best rebounders the NBA had ever seen.
And shaping that career was one of his decisions to leave home when he was 20, and vowing to never return. At that point, the New Jersey lad had little in terms of basketball skills before his sisters had him enrolled in the Cooke County Junior College Basketball team.
Adding some game to his already existing set, Rodman’s talent was spotted by Southeastern Oklahoma State’s assistant coach Lon Reisman.
In a story by The Chicago Tribune, it was revealed that his mother, Shirley forced her son to listen to the coach’s offer even as Rodman had flunked out of the college after playing ten games and wanted nothing to do with Reisman.
Eventually, he did listen to the coach and what followed next was something nobody foresaw. Rodman, then 20, packed two changes of clothes and was ready to go to Southeastern on the same day with a self-promise to never come back.
In his story, Johnette Howard wrote the aftermath of his move to Oklahoma:
“What would unfold later was equally improbable: A phenomenal basketball career in a little Oklahoma town infamous-at least among blacks-for its past spasms of racism; the love and comedy and pain Rodman endured there during his budding relationship with a white family; the concurrent ache his mother felt whenever she heard those pat portrayals of her son, ”the ghetto kid,” being saved by sports and some latecomers` charity.”
The decision to move paid dividends as he found himself suiting up with the Detroit Pistons, and the rest as we know it, was history.
Dennis Rodman Revealed How He Plays The Game: “I Just Know How To Go Full Speed.”
Rodman’s presence on the hardwood was more than just intimidating. His persona, when not playing, may have been different, but during the game, he was locked in.
Netflix’s ‘The Last Dance’ Episode 3 put the spotlight on the forward and his past, which was troubled, yet inspirational in its own way. In one of the segments, he explained how basketball became an escape and how things were around when he linked up with Southeastern.
“I went balls-out every time. I just know how to go full speed. So when I was in college, I was averaging like 27 points, 14 or 15 rebounds a game.”
After being drafted by the Pistons, Rodman eventually was eventually traded to the Bulls, where he played alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
In NBA 75’s official video of Rodman, Hall of Famer Walt Frazier hailed him as the best rebounder and defensive player ever to play the game. The great was in awe of the energy levels Rodman brought to the table.
“The guy could run all day. He never got tired. You could see him diving into stands, is all over the floor, and after the game, he would ride the stationary bike.”
He found a major part of his success with the Pistons and the Bulls, and although he later had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, it wasn’t as impactful as it was with Chicago. But there was no denying that Rodman was one of the best to have played the sport.
