“You gotta go back” – When Hulk Hogan persuaded Dennis Rodman to go back to NBA

Basketball legend Dennis Rodman once skipped his NBA practice sessions and instead, joined Hulk Hogan in WCW.

There have been several instances when NBA players stepped into the WWE ring for a match. From Shaquille O’Neal to Karl Malone, many legends of Basketball have performed in WWE.

But, none of those appearances ever affected their duties in NBA. However, when Dennis Rodman decided to join Hulk Hogan in WCW before the 1998 NBA finals, it did create a lot of news.

During an episode of the WWE Chronicle documentary, the WWE Hall of Famer took a trip down memory lane and remembered the infamous incident. The Hulkster shared how Rodman appearing in WCW created problems for him and Chicago Bulls.

Dennis Rodman skipped his practice sessions and joined Hulk Hogan instead

The incident happened on June 8, 1998, a day after the Chicago Bulls had defeated Utah Jazz in game 3 of that year’s finals. Although the Bulls were leading by 2-1, the job was far from over.

But Dennis Rodman, who had given a subpar performance in game 3, decided to skip his practice session for the next game and went to WCW. The NBA legend flew all the way to Monday Nitro to meet his friend Hulk Hogan.

While speaking on the WWE chronicle, the Hall of Famer revealed that Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson was calling him continuously. He was asking about the whereabouts of his guy. But, Rodman was not willing to go back. Hogan stated:

“I’ve got Phil Jackson calling me, going, ‘Where’s my guy at, where’s my guy at?… I’m going, ‘Rodman, Phil Jackson keeps blowing up my phone, you gotta go back. And (Dennis) Rodman says, ‘I don’t wanna go back.'”

Anyway, he did eventually appear for game 4 and gave an excellent performance. Dennis Rodman snagged 14 rebounds in 29 minutes which help Chicago Bulls to take the lead to 3-1.

The Worm tagged along with The Hulkster to face DDP and Karl Malone

Well, the 1998 incident was not the only appearance of the NBA legend in pro wrestling. Dennis Rodman first appeared in WCW in 1997 and in fact, wrestled one match every year until 2000.

However, after winning the 1998 NBA finals, Rodman once again joined forces with Hulk Hogan for WCW’s Bash at the Beach PPV. In fact, the two wrestled DDP and Karl Malone, who was Rodman’s opponent in the NBA finals. But, just like NBA, The Worm managed to secure a victory against their opponents. But, this time he was aided by the nWo.

Anyway, while Rodman retired from NBA in 2000, the Hall of Famer continued to wrestle until 2012. Though both veterans have inspired many youngsters with their legendary careers in their respective sports.

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