David Robinson and Dennis Rodman – are two of the most extreme opposites you will ever see in terms of personality.
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A combined 7 rings in total between the pairing, but yet no championships together. David Robinson and Dennis Rodman are two of the finest players to have graced the court – in the most contrasting styles ever.
Rodman was a guy who looked like he came straight out of a color TV, and Robinson had the appearance of a Drill Sergeant.
Maybe that is why one was called “the menace” and the other, “the admiral”. But the story is very different, with the names not matching the person.
Dennis “the menace” Rodman loved playing in practice drills, but because of the Admiral’s status, he did not turn up much to practice. Even if he did, he’d do it half-heartedly, while Rodman was reading spins of the ball to improve his rebounding.
The whole Spurs move was a fiasco of epic proportions for The Worm. He did not get along with Robinson, and also the coach, and the front-end staff. He asked for a number that could not be worn, immediately putting himself in the cross hairs of the organization.
Dennis Rodman was a personality not many could handle – Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan managed him pretty well
“He’s an easy guy to like because he has a good heart,” Robinson said. “He wants to play hard. He wants to do the right things. But man, as far as a team goes, he was so destructive to a team perspective because he’d show up to practice late, and there was nothing you could do to make him get out of his comfort zone.”
The Worm was tamed as soon as he reached the Chicago Bulls. He was still the same guy who attended practice late and even abscond for days at a time.
But the part where he came back without fail is something people tend to overlook. If only things worked with the Spurs, he would not have been a part of the regular thread we know and use.
Phil got the best out of Rodman and after finally playing with a coach that was ready to take a guy like himself to different heights, Rodman started playing basketball his way again.
His arrival coincided with a few other developments, and his exit from the Spurs meant that they could draft Tim Duncan, the man who gave Robinson his two titles. Certain player moves are lopsided, but this is one trade where everybody won.
