Former Chicago Bulls star and Detroit Pistons Bad Boy Dennis Rodman is now worth just $500,000. Considering that is despite having earned $27,000,000 during his NBA career, it means that he simply ran the well almost completely dry. Now, all he has is a bit of money left over from endorsements. And one of the biggest reasons for that was his tendency to party and throw away all his money doing it. That said, in his book, I Should Be Dead By Now, Rodman talks about how his gambling habit had once earned him the praise of the great Michael Jordan. In one of his escapades in 1996, Rodman went to Las Vegas only to come back half an hour before the match. And the great Phil Jackson along with MJ just couldn’t help but be impressed by the finer details of this event.
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Dennis Rodman earned Michael Jordan’s praise for one of his gambling escapades
Dennis Rodman had the time and career of a lifetime after moving to Chicago. He went on to win a three-peat with the Bulls, being known for his rebounding and defense throughout it. Easily, he was one of the hardest-working players on the court on any given night.
However, Rodman was also an extreme alcoholic who just couldn’t get enough of partying. One thing that he and Michael Jordan shared was a common love for gambling. Before a game against Utah Jazz, Rodman booked a chartered airplane and flew to Las Vegas to party and gamble all night. The next day, he arrived at Salt Lake City before the game, half an hour before his team.
When coach Phil Jackson asked Rodman’s bodyguard about him being out all night, he swiftly denied it. Although Jackson knew Rodman was lying, he did not care as long as he performed well. Describing Michael Jordan’s reaction, Rodman wrote,
“Michael Jordan, a man who has been known to gamble a bit himself, came over to George[Rodman’s bodyguard], and asked, ‘How’d our boy do?’ ‘He kicked ass,’ said George.”
An avid gambler himself, Jordan clearly seemed a bit impressed, very much entertained by the whole thing. In fact, the man likely even smiled proudly in the direction of Rodman after this one.
Beyond his aura on the court, Michael Jordan was popular off it too for his gambling exploits. Being linked to a high-profile drug smuggler in the early 1990s had caused enough issues for MJ to deal with legally and personally. As for Rodman however, he never took his career as seriously as Michael did. However, he had the chance to outshine everyone else, he chose the path to lavishly salvage his income rather than build a robust investment around it.
Dennis Rodman splurged his income on gambling, partying, and alcoholism
During his time with the Bulls, Rodman received $4.5 million in his final year in Chicago, equating to $8.2 million in today’s rates. Over his entire NBA career, Rodman earned $27 million. However, he is now only worth $500,000, and his entire NBA salary has dried up.
In the late 1990s, Rodman would spend as long as 48 hours between seasons to party in Las Vegas. Also, he was dating a high-profile celebrity too, Carmen Electra, which does explain some of his spending habits.
Dennis was also scammed by his financial advisor, Peggy Ann Fulford, which caused him significant losses. Fulford was ordered to pay $1.2 million in damages to Rodman. Besides this, he would also spend a lot of money on the welfare of the homeless and less fortunate people. This was because Dennis always believed in giving back to his community and wanted to stick by his roots.
