Dennis Rodman once opened up about how he genuinely thought he would’ve been out of the NBA if he was drafted anywhere else
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Dennis Rodman is certainly quite the anomaly when it comes to NBA Hall-of-Famers. His eccentricity and flare were something the league had never seen before. Sure, guys like Walt Frazier set the standard for being ‘quirky’ with their outfits by ‘The Worm’ took his outlandish personality to another level.
Everything from getting in trouble with the law over 100 times (according to him) to flying across the country to hopefully impregnate Madonna, Rodman was quite the wild man. He did all of this while being one of the greatest defenders and rebounders in NBA history.
While it feels like Rodman has been this way his whole life, he actually came into the league with a much different mindset. Coming from the projects of Dallas, he knew how hard he had worked to get to the point where the Detroit Pistons selected him in the first round in 1986.
Dennis Rodman remains thankful for the fact that he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as he believes they saved his career
Dennis’s tenacity and willingness to put his body on the line on a nightly basis for the Pistons was something Chuck Daly and company welcomed with open arms. What they also did for him was provide him with love and affection in a way that allowed him to develop into an All-NBA caliber player.
“If I didn’t go to Detroit, I probably would have been out of the NBA my 2nd or 3rd year. I needed to be embraced and cared and loved to keep me safe. The team and city [Detroit] really embraced me so much,” said the defensive savant in an article for SI.
Rodman once named Coach Daly one of the 4 father figures he had in his life, giving him a massive amount of credit for the success he achieved in the league. So, when Daly resigned as the Pistons head coach, it wasn’t surprisingly to see Rodman’s love for the game of basketball decrease.
Dennis Rodman would get even wilder after leaving the Pistons
The real stories about how wild Dennis Rodman got once he clocked of work started when he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. The tattoos, dyed hair, constant parties, and frequent visits from women all began when he left Detroit.
This makes sense as when he was with the Pistons, he was with a team that had nurtured him and cared for him for well over half a decade. After leaving that behind, he felt as though there would and should be nothing holding him back from embracing his true self.
Also read: “I Know I’ll Crash and End Up With Nothing”: Dennis Rodman Once Predicted His Own Fall From Grace
