Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman published his memoir, “I Should Be Dead By Now,” back in 2006. In the book, he narrated a tale of how he was driven to suicide back in 1993. He wanted to shoot himself in the Pistons’ parking lot. This was after finding out that his mother was in a coma for four months. Rodman then claimed that years later, despite his mental state, he was fast becoming the second most popular athlete, after Michael Jordan.
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In his book, Rodman claimed that his suicide attempt increased his popularity to such a level that he rivaled Michael Jordan. It was so extreme that by 1998, Rodman was living a life of “wretched excess”. Despite this, he claimed that “everyone wanted a piece of his a**.”
Dennis Rodman claims his suicide attempt resulted in a huge increase in popularity
In the book, Rodman revealed a range of personal details about his mindset in the years that followed his 1993 suicide plan. However, once he had recovered, Rodman found himself being one of the most popular guys in the NBA.
By 1998, Rodman had won 5 NBA titles including 2 during his time with the Pistons. He claimed that apart from Jordan, there was nobody more famous in the NBA:
“It was 1998 in Chicago, my third year with the Bulls, and I was white hot. I was the second most famous player in the NBA, right behind a guy named Michael Jordan. I was getting dozens of phone calls a day from charities, promoters, producers—everyone wanting a piece of my ass. I had an agent, bodyguards, and hangerson. I had a Ferrari, a garage full of motorcycles, and even a rock star tour bus to ferry my partying friends and me from club to club after hours. I don’t even know how much money I was making—millions—and I was spending it as fast as—sometimes faster than—I made it. Feel like going to Vegas? Rent a private jet. Want a new car? How ’bout a Bentley? Girlfriend want a new wardrobe? Jewelry? Boob job? No fucking problem. I had it all and then some.”
Rodman went on to reveal that he was living a life of “wretched excess.” The player himself was confused with the level of popularity he suddenly commanded:
“Ever heard that phrase “wretched excess”? I was living it. Meanwhile I was getting more famous by the day. Shit, Barbara Walters, Barbara-fucking-Walters, had come begging my ass for an interview. How did this happen? How did this skinny ex-janitor from nowhere become the hottest thing on the planet? It all started in a parking lot in Detroit.”
Dennis Rodman has had regular issues with discipline throughout his career
While Rodman was one of the best and the most tenacious defenders the league ever saw, he also had a range of off-court issues. A difficult childhood was followed by extreme popularity and wealth, leading to a lifestyle that did not suit an NBA player.
Still, his natural gifts and the ability to dominate opponents that were bigger than him made him one of the most unique players in the league. After his time with the Bulls, Rodman spent another season at the LA Lakers.
This was followed by a stint with the Dallas Mavericks, his final NBA team. However, these stints were not successful, with Steve Nash famously claiming Rodman never wanted to be a Maverick. Rodman was 38 by the time he moved to Dallas, and had already achieved much more than most NBA players can dream of.
