Although Chicago Bulls put Dennis Rodman on the global map, he was still a distinguished defender and rebounder in his time with the Spurs and Detroit Pistons.
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Especially his time with the Pistons was respectfully fruitful. In his last 3 seasons with them, Rodman averaged 16.3 rebounds. His integral role with the Pistons Bad Boys also turned him into a formidable defender.
Even his two seasons with the Spurs, though full of conflict between the Worm and the coaching staff, could not slow down Dennis. He averaged 17.1 rebounds and added two more rebounding titles to his portfolio. So, naturally, when the Bulls needed a key defender and rebounder, Krause and Phil got Dennis Rodman on board.
The Bulls were stacked in 1995 and gearing up for what would be their 4th championship. But the 6ft 8′ forward had given Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen hell in their previous matchups. He wasn’t intimidated by them in the least. Instead, he only impressed them with his genius.
Dennis Rodman shocked Michael Jordan while learning Bulls’ complicated offense
In his book Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman discussed all aspects of his life up till then. One of the important parts of the book discussed Rodman and his integration with the Bulls squad. In it, Rodman claimed he was not intimidated by the stardom of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
According to Dennis Rodman, when the Bulls first got him, MJ and Pippen had their doubts. Before the Bulls would think he was worth a $16 million paycheck in 3 seasons, they treated him like a loose cannon.
But the Worm put the doubts and suspicions to rest during training camp. Rodman claimed he had learned Chicago’s complicated offense faster than even Michael himself. Unsurprisingly, this greatly shocked Jordan.
Rodman: “After I got to the Bulls, Michael and Scottie said they had some concerns about me coming to the team, but those concerns went away in training camp. Michael said nobody had ever picked up the Bulls’ complicated offense as fast as I did—not even him. Everybody was impressed—and surprised, I guess—by my basketball knowledge. Maybe they had been watching me the past few years. I never once said, “Oh, great, I get to play with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.” I respect their talents, and I enjoy being on the floor with them, but I’m not in awe of them. I’m not starstruck because I’m on the same team.”
Rodman played a crucial role in Bulls’ second three-peat
Rodman joined the Bulls just in time for the start of their second championship campaign. Just like the previous one, this one would last for a whole three years.
Without any surprise, Dennis played an important role in the team. He was not only their best rebounder but was a pest on defense. The things he had done against them during his Pistons’ days had now become a weapon for the Bulls.
He would go on to take his total tally of championships to 5 by the end of his tenure with Chicago. In his time there, he averaged 15.3 rebounds per game and won the last 3 rebounding titles of his career. Truly a legend.
