The NBA has always had a long list of interesting personalities. However, Dennis Rodman may be the most interesting of them all. The five-time NBA champion just as known for his off-court antics as he was for his skill set. Former NBA player Charles Oakley, who experienced both sides of Rodman, recently recalled how the former Lakers star got on his nerves.
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During Rodman’s tenure with the Detroit Pistons, he made a name for himself as one of the league’s best rebounders. His hustle and intensity led him to become a fan favorite very quickly. Things would, however, quickly change during his final seasons in Detroit.
After demanding a trade, Rodman would begin the 1993-94 season with the San Antonio Spurs. His love for nightlife would continue to grow during this time. It didn’t take long for the 6-foot-7 forward to become a pop culture icon.
Rodman would begin to wear dresses, dye his hair and even paint his nails, which made him quite an outcast back in the day. So much so, that even Charles Oakley refused to grow close to him.
“When a man is wearing a dress and wants to play basketball, I think he’s just looking for a lot of attention,” Oakley proclaimed in an interview with The Art of Dialogue.
Although the two were Eastern Conference rivals for the majority of their careers, Oakley and Rodman mostly got along away from basketball. That was until Rodman began to truly express himself. Oakley certainly had strong opinions on Rodman’s attire, but that was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. What really rubbed Oakley the wrong way was Rodman’s attitude.
Rodman and Oakley crossed paths at the Knicks legend’s former restaurant, Red Steakhouse. Oakley found out Rodman would be attending, which didn’t strike as an issue at first glance. However, Oakley would receive a call, which would quickly raise his temper.
“I said, ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘Guess what [Rodman] is doing? He’s walking around eating out of people’s plates,'” Oakley recalled.
Once Oakley became aware of this information he raced to the restaurant. Even till this day, he remembers what his interaction with Rodman was like.
“I went straight to him and grabbed him by his neck. I pulled him out and said, ‘If I ever see you again, you better be in a police car,'” Oakley revealed.
That instance was one of the last encounters outside of basketball that Oakley had with Rodman. He had to later send a message to Rodman that it wasn’t okay to behave in such a manner. In hindsight, those words didn’t have much of an impact, considering Rodman has continued to act the way he did.
