NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal narrates his experience of playing with Dennis Rodman and why he was a phenomenal athlete.
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When it comes to the best defenders in the NBA, of the biggest names that appear is that of legendary power forward Dennis Rodman.
Although Rodman didn’t possess the length of big men like Tim Duncan, the former Bulls legend dominated the league in grabbing rebounds and locking down superstars.
Be it him guarding dominant forces like Shaquille O’Neal or even guarding smaller guards, Rodman was perhaps one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA. His defensive prowess certainly was in full effect for two of the biggest Eastern Conference giants in the 80s and the 90s in the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
Ending his career with 5 NBA championships and 2 DPOY trophies, ‘Dennis the Menace’ truly left his mark on the game of basketball.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals why he likes Dennis Rodman
While Rodman did have a fair share of encounters with Shaq, back in the 1998-99 season, ‘the Worm’ found himself with the Los Angeles Lakers sharing the court with ‘the Diesel’.
Although he did not have much success, the 6’6″ forward certainly had a lasting impression on Shaq. In an episode of the Open Court, the 3-time Finals MVP revealed why he had so much respect for The Worm.
“The great thing about Dennis Rodman is he always did it his way when I played with him like you know he’s supposed to be there an hour and a half before the game he would have come in with 45 on the on the clock eating chicken and rice and nobody would say anything.”
“We knew that he was going to give us 20 to 25 rebounds at the game and so you know he did it his way he wrote the treadmill after the game….. He was a phenomenal athlete.”
A player like ‘Rodzilla’ might not have a filled stat sheet, but his contributions to the 90s Bulls or the Bad boy Pistons are certainly immeasurable.
