In early 2013, Dennis Rodman co-authored the children’s book ‘Dennis the Wild Bull’ with Dustin Warburton. While he was excited about popularizing his creation, the promotional events surrounding the launch often frustrated him. One such situation involved an event at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando.
Advertisement
Rodman, who typically demanded between $20,000 and $40,000 for appearances at a Stateside event, took a significant pay cut to promote his book. Despite his concession, the promoters exploited his fame.
Each attendee was charged $199 to enter the event and had to wait in line to meet and greet the 5x NBA champion. This irked Rodman. He later revealed to Sports Illustrated,
“I hate these kinds of shows. The promoters take advantage of me being alive, being famous or infamous. I’d rather not be here, but it’s hard to turn down my fans. I’ll tell you one thing: I sure ain’t here for the f**king money.”
“Give me 20 bucks, and I’m ready to rock and roll.”
Rodman‘s comments reflected how he always saw himself as more of an entertainer and a showman than a professional athlete. The 2x All-Star’s tattoos, bright nail paint, and colorful hair were all part of this persona during his playing days.
When Rodman was at the table signing autographs, a middle-aged woman with a spider tattoo on her neck gave ‘The Worm’ a pair of ancient Air Worm sneakers to sign. She told him, “Dennis, you’re awesome.”
Rodman was equally excited by her compliment and replied to her, “I’m thrilled to hear that, sister… I’m so used to people calling me a piece of crap.”
Rodman desired to break the mold throughout his life. Those who accepted him for who he was became the closest to him. His beloved fans were no exception.
