Refusing to Listen to David Stern’s Tattoo Warnings, Dennis Rodman Revealed Why He ‘Altered’ His Body Years Later

Nowadays, players come into the NBA with all kinds of tattoos, piercings and other stylistic choices that hardly bother anyone. However, that was not always the case. The league was much stricter on tattoos and piercings during Dennis Rodman‘s stint in the NBA. In fact, in many ways, Rodman paved the way for today’s players to be more free in their choices outside the hardwood. The Worm was a walking rebellion during his time in the league, attracting a lot of public and media attention(mostly negative) for his fashion choices, tattoos, wild partying and drunken escapades. While many peers thought Rodman’s bizarre antics were a defense mechanism against the outside world, the five-time NBA Champion addressed the real reason why he got so many tattoos in an ESPN interview years after his retirement.

Rodman really broke the barrier for what is acceptable for an NBA player to wear after he showed up in a wedding dress to a book signing event. However, the countless tattoos in his body were also a hot topic of discussion for the public, if not as shocking as his fashion statements. Rodman’s body is filled with tribal designs, probably to embody the chaos in which he thrives.

He has two angry Bulls facing each other in his chest, which display his restrained anger against the world for the things he had to go through. It could also signify his successful stint with the Chicago Bulls. Body Art Guru lists other notable tattoos in Rodman’s body, which include a cross with a few stars, a woman eating her own genitalia(back), a shark within the circle of a sun, a devil lady with a pitchfork etc.

Dennis Rodman explained the real reason he got so many tattoos

During an ESPN interview in 2019, Rodman addressed the real reason he got so many tattoos and piercings in his body. Interviewer Stan Verrett asked the Worm about the popular theory that he got tattoos and piercings as a defence mechanism against the outside world. Rodman denied the theory and explained his reasoning to ink his body.

“They think that I’ve been doing this because I’m hiding something…No I don’t think so. I feel like it’s more of an outlet for me because when I have negative things happen to my life I seem to want to hurt myself physically. I think the tattoos have more symbolizes that,” Rodman told Verrett.

He further explained that he didn’t want tattoos in the beginning. But they took the pain away of having a rough childhood and his loved ones leaving him, and he then mirroring the same things in his own life.

Incidentally, Dennis Rodman had a tough time growing up after his father abandoned him at a very young age. His success with the Detroit Pistons was mostly a result of the mentorship of head coach Chuck Daly, who acted as a father figure in his life. However, Daly’s departure from the Pistons would make the Rebound King more unstable than ever, even contemplating suicide on multiple occasions. The tattoos, therefore, would act as a kind of a relief from that intense pain.

Rodman once refused to listen to David Stern’s warning

David Stern, who was NBA Commissioner at the time, was worried about Rodman’s wild antics bringing negative attention to the league, especially at a time when Michael Jordan was busy taking it to a whole new level. As a result, Stern warned Rodman to stop inking in his body if he wants to continue playing in the league.

However, Dennis Rodman revealed during a conversation with comedian Kevin Hart that he went and got a tattoo that very night. The league would soon realize that Rodman’s rebellious persona had an appeal of its own among the masses, which even rivalled the superstardom of Jordan at times. Therefore, Stern would eventually decide to leave Rodman alone with his antics.