Dennis Rodman may have been the demolition man on the court, dismantling his opponents’ offense with his ferocious rebounding and defense, but there were times when he was struggling mentally, and he had a surprise savior in Pearl Jam.
Speaking to GQ, the Chicago Bulls legend revealed how the band saved him from the suicidal thoughts he would struggle with during his time with the San Antonio Spurs.
“I got hooked on these guys in 1991, and it was amazing,” Rodman said. “I had a bit of an issue in 1993, and I wanted to commit that thing called suicide. It’s amazing that I look back at this like, wow, this brings a lot of memories. They saved my life when I wanted to commit suicide, and for some reason, the voice of love came into my life at that particular moment that night, and it was Pearl Jam. I thank Pearl Jam for doing that for me. It wasn’t the sole reason, but it was the main reason.”
[Starts 1:24 onwards]
Prior to being traded to the Spurs, Rodman was already a two-time NBA champion and was regarded as the league’s dominant defensive force. But mentally, he wasn’t in a great space.
Things came to a head when he no longer had Chuck Daly as his mentor, and he went through a tumultuous time in San Antonio. However, it was Pearl Jam to the rescue and that meant Rodman found a new lease of life.
Dennis Rodman Explained The One Way He Knew How To Play Basketball
Rodman’s presence on the floor was more than just intimidating. His persona, when not playing, may have been different and wild for some, but during the game, he was remarkably locked in.
Netflix’s ‘The Last Dance’ Episode 3 put the spotlight on the dominant 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 traded to the Bulls, where he played alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and was instrumental in the team’s three-peat.
And while at it, if you’re new to Pearl Jam, here are some of their iconic hits to get you started.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
