Dennis Rodman was a force to reckon with during his prime days in the NBA. However, by the early 2000s, Rodman’s sporting prowess had dwindled heavily, given he was at the peak of misusing his alcohol and partying habits. This phenomenon truly reached its epitome in 2003, when Rodman appeared at the MTV Radio Music Awards drunk and pinched the rapper Diddy. As he was escorted out by Diddy’s entourage following the act, Rodman realized that his fame and popularity could come in no use to save him from such awkward situations. In his autobiography ‘I Should Be Dead By Now,‘ Rodman penned the experience of such incidents in detail.
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Rodman’s career witnessed a hard fall from grace ever since he left the Chicago Bulls in 1999. However, when he was at the peak of his career, the Worm was one of the most sought-after party animals amongst the American elites. Stars such as Al Pacino and Meryl Streep were vying to invite Rodman to their parties or events. However, with even B-list celebrities like the ‘Puff Daddy’ ignoring him now, Rodman had realized he had crossed all limits for patience with his behavior.
Dennis Rodman was kicked out of MTV Radio Music Show awards for arriving drunk and harassing rapper Diddy
From a first glance at Dennis Rodman’s autobiography, one could still note the vanity the Worm carried owing to his fame. For Rodman, he had rightfully earned all of his popularity. This explained his habit of splurging excessive cash, reckless drinking, and partying. By the year 2003, Rodman’s popularity had severely dwindled due to his own deeds. Yet, the former Bulls center was invited to the MTV Radio Music Awards that year. Though initially reluctant, Rodman still appeared at the awards function as MTV had paid him good money to be there. And as one may expect, he had already spent that money on alcohol and partying.
The MTV producers and the award show organizers had already gained a whiff of Rodman’s shenanigans when he arrived at the scene. Hence, it resulted in his award presentation being canceled and him being denied a backstage pass. Yet, an undeterred Rodman would still go backstage in his drunken, intoxicated stage. He noticed the rapper Diddy ignoring him and giving an interview. Then, the Worm acted out of his impulse and pinched the rapper. This led to rapid action being taken against the five-time NBA champion and him being escorted out of the venue. Here is how Rodman remembers the incident, evident from this excerpt from his autobiography.
“I don’t remember much of this, but Wendell says I was like some wino on skid row. He was holding me up, I was ranting, but my speech was so slurred nobody could understand what the fuck I was saying. The producers of the show got wind I was drunk, cancelled my award presentation, and even denied me a backstage pass. I went backstage anyway, falling-down drunk. A couple of years before, stars like Al Pacino and Meryl Streep were coming up to me, seeking me out, and now B-level celebrity hacks were turning their backs, avoiding me. I saw Puff Daddy giving an interview and started pinching him on the ass. He blew me off, and his crew was like, ‘Get him the fuck away from us!’ Wendell pulled me aside. Then security showed up and drug my ass out of there no backstage pass. ‘Fuck this place!’ I shouted to Wendell. ‘Fuck this! Let’s go. Let’s go.’ So where were we going? A strip club. Where else?”
This reckless behavior and reprimand from Diddy’s entourage caused a serious blow to Rodman’s image. It was high time for the Bulls star to then realize, he had fallen from grace from his early days of fame. From being one of the sought-after socialites to a social outcast, Rodman’s actions significantly brought him such quick downfall.
Rodman broke his sobriety after two years because he was bored
After having such a heavy fall from grace, the Worm worked on his addictions to get sober. For two years, the five-time chip winner just smoked cigars and maintained his sobriety religiously. Furthermore, he had even checked into a rehabilitation center to get his raging alcoholism in check. All such measures were to only last for two years, as Rodman relapsed from being bored.
Speaking to Graham Bensinger, the Worm admitted he was drinking as much as his heydays after the relapse. Surely, a young Dennis Rodman in the early days of his career was living the wildest of lives. From tacky tattoos and piercings to numerous run-ins with law enforcement, the Worm had faced it all. And all of this, thanks to the egregious amounts of alcohol in his system.
