Dennis Rodman Once Used his $5,950,000 Incentive To Get Under Stephen Curry’s Dad, Dell Curry’s Skin, Forcing Him to Be Ejected

Back in 1998, Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman was on a contract that earned him around $4,900,000. In addition to that, he also had clauses for incentives worth around $5,950,000, forcing him to keep his discipline in check. Rodman was expected to turn the “other cheek” and not get thrown out of games in order to earn the incentives. However, being the player he was, Rodman would continue to find ways to get under his opponents’ skins without getting into trouble. One of his victims was Dell Curry, according to Sports Illustrated.

The incentive was seen by the Bulls as a last-ditch attempt to keep Rodman in check. One of the best defenders and rebounders the NBA ever saw, Rodman was a huge asset on the court. However, off it, he was a party animal and had consistent issues with his discipline.

Dennis Rodman found a way to get Dell Curry ejected despite $5,950,000 incentive clause

The Chicago Bulls wanted Rodman to not be thrown out of games. The player had been asked to turn the other cheek during games, something he was obviously terrible at.

However, despite Rodman wanting the $5,950,000 incentives, he would still actively look for ways to get under his opponent’s skin. One such incident happened during a game against the Charlotte Hornets during the Eastern Conference Finals.

During the fourth quarter, Rodman followed Dell Curry towards the sideline, who was trying to retrieve a ball. He slithered over Curry’s shoulder, went tumbling along with him into the Hornets’ bench, and then knocked the ball out of bounds.

While it was clear that the incident was Rodman’s doing, it was Dell Curry who got ejected after complaining to the referee:

“As much in frustration as grievance, Curry protested to referee Danny Crawford that Rodman should have been whistled for a foul. Crawford hit Curry with a technical, his second of the game. Curry, not Rodman, was gone.”

Rodman was a master of riling up opponents throughout his career

Apart from being one of the most annoyingly tenacious defenders, Rodman knew how to get under his opponents’ skins. He would often get other players in trouble, but more often got himself in trouble.

One such example was the 1996 NBA Finals when he got Frank Brickowski from game 3. Rodman was accused by Sonics coach George Karl of testing the NBA’s “no-punch rule.”

In July 1997, Rodman kicked out at a cameraman and was fined $25,000 and had to pay the cameraman $200,000. He was also suspended for a total of 11 games.

Still, Rodman was a huge asset to the Chicago Bulls. It was his madness that sometimes got the best of him during matches. It was the same madness that allowed him to dominate players double his size consistently on the basketball court.