Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen. These three names together on a single team were the stuff of nightmares for their opponents. The three played together for the Chicago Bulls from 1995 to 1998. During that time, the Bulls got their second three-peat of the decade. However, their fit wasn’t a natural one.
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Rodman was a part of the Bad-Boy Pistons, which had an intense rivalry with the Bulls. During Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Rodman violently pushed Pippen to the ground. This resulted in a wound that required six stitches. When Rodman first joined the Bulls, he had to apologize to Scottie for the same.
Once they moved past the same, the trio wreaked havoc on the NBA. They finished their first season together with a 72-10 record and the NBA Championship. A key to them winning so much was staying in shape. Rodman once talked about the same.
Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan bet about body fat
In 2019, Dennis Rodman was on Habits and Hustle with Jennifer Cohen. There he was asked to share some tidbits from his time with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Rodman recalled a story and said,
“We had a bet every day that who has the lowest body fat. We all the same size, 6’7, 6’8, 6’9. Everyday we would go and get our body weight and body fat checked.”
“Mike would be like 3.2%, Scottie would be like 3.3%, and I would be like 3.4%. But every day we switch. And people would say, ‘How you stay so lean and so cut up?’. Because we had that regiment, that mindset, that routine. Every day we wanted to win, we wanted to be competitive, to go out there and show people that we may be 215, 220, or 210, but we are very strong, very lean, and very agile.”
Small things like these showed how competitive all three guys were. Their competitive drive is what led them to win three championships in a row.
How strong was Rodman?
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins was on Joe Rogan’s podcast once. He was talking about his relations with Dennis Rodman and more. There, he described an incident where Dennis Rodman once handled a 250-lbs guy with one arm.
This is just one example of how big and powerful the Bulls’ forward was. He was a master at his craft, and a pillar of strength.