If Michael Jordan is the most iconic player in NBA history in terms of pure basketball achievement, Dennis Rodman is the most iconic for his antics off the court. No player has quite reached the levels of notoriety Rodman achieved; the man once wore a wedding dress and announced that he was marrying himself.
His relationship with his teammates on those legendary Chicago Bulls teams was also an interesting dynamic, as Rodman managed to frustrate MJ from time to time. And at the peak of their power in 1997, many fans wondered if the stars on the legendary Bulls team were friends with each other off the court.
In an interview with Rodman, Playboy magazine asked that question to The Worm, and his response was vintage Dennis Rodman. Many players would answer a question like that tactfully, but not Rodman, who was perhaps more candid than was necessary.
Playboy: “Are you friends with Michael Jordan?”
Dennis Rodman: “I told you I don’t give a f**k about anybody in the NBA. I don’t hang with athletes. Hanging with Michael Jordan is supposed to be big news? Please.”
Things changed in retirement, the two greeted one another quite warmly when they met at an Air Jordan brand event in 2005. Rodman won a three-peat alongside MJ and Scottie Pippen, so even though his words in this interview seem quite harsh, there was mutual respect and understanding between the two Bulls stars.
Ultimately, players don’t have to be friends with one another to win together. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are excellent examples of that. The two won three championships together, and they hated one another’s guts by the end of it. It must have been much the same for Rodman and Jordan. The Worm fluctuated from day to day, while His Airness was okay with everything as long as he and the team were winning.
