Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman disclosed how Gregg Popovich wasn’t his biggest fan. So, he simply traded him away for Will Purdue.
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Drafted with the third pick of the second round in 1986, Dennis Rodman was originally a member of the Bad Boy Pistons, spending the first seven years of his career in Detroit. He averaged single digits in points with the Pistons but averaged a whopping 11.5 rebounds per game during his tenure with them, following which he teamed up with David Robinson in San Antonio.
However, right off the bat, Rodman was a poor fit in San Antonio. With the Spurs known for their discipline and classiness as an organization, the Worm was the furthest away from that. After spending two years with them, he was traded to the Bulls by then-GM Gregg Popovich, who wasn’t his biggest fan.
December 9, 1994: Dennis Rodman returns to the San Antonio Spurs after a 3-week paid leave of absence and two suspensions.
Rodman was most recently suspended by GM Gregg Popovich for not contacting the team after his LOA and failing to show up for a home game on 12/8.
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In an interview, Rodman opened up about his move from the Spurs to join Michael Jordan in Chicago, where he ripped up Popovich. So, what exactly did he say? Read on and find out…
Dennis Rodman revealed how Gregg Popovich wasn’t his biggest fan and traded him.
Dennis Rodman is one of the most unique and eccentric athletes in the history of the NBA. Be it partying in Vegas, dating celebrities, and or donning wedding dresses, the Worm did it all. While he was wild off the court, the Hall-of-Famer backed it all up on the court, going down in history as arguably the greatest rebounder ever.
Despite averaging an astounding 17.1 rebounds per game in his two seasons with the Spurs, the GM at the time, Gregg Popovich, wasn’t a fan of his off-court behaviour. Moreover, their star man at the time, David Robinson even called him the devil. All of this led to Popovich trading him to the Bulls in a straight-up trade for Will Purdue.
In an interview with Kevin Hart on ‘Cold as Balls’, Rodman opens about the same. He goes on to say –
“I think when I went to Chicago, that’s a great story though. That’s when Gregg Popovich was the GM, he didn’t like me at all. I wasn’t the church-going guy, David Robinson called me “The Devil”.
“I said, you didn’t pay me to be f**king nice. You pay me to f**king win. Popovich wanted me to get out of there so bad. So he traded me to Chicago for Will Perdue straight up. Here’s your sh*t, get the f*ck out.”
Following his move, Dennis Rodman, along with Michael Jordan, 3-peated with the Bulls. To this day, the Worm is seen as one of the most important pieces of the legendary Bulls dynasty. Meanwhile, the Spurs turned themselves into the most dominant team over the last two decades.
