Dennis Rodman, a highly recognizable face in NBA history, has been dissatisfied with his pay and treatment in the league. Recently, Rodman appeared on VladTV’s Youtube Channel, where he discussed various topics, including his concerns about marketing and salary issues. He scoffed at the idea of earning less than $100,000 as an NBA player.
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“It was like working at K-Mart. That’s how big that contract was. It was like 75-80 grand at the most“.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Rodman with the 27th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and picks that late usually do not command a high enough salary. His first paycheck with Detroit added a mere $75,000 to his bank account for that 1986-87 season. However as time went on, he did enter the ‘millions per year’ bracket of salaries.
The revelation was truly shocking considering Dennis Rodman’s exceptional rebounding skills, which quickly made him one of the best in the NBA within his first 2-3 seasons.
Despite his impressive achievements, such as winning two championships with the Detroit Pistons and three more with the Chicago Bulls, Rodman was shockingly underpaid, earning a salary comparable to that of a K-Mart supermarket manager in the 80s. However, Rodman’s grievances with the NBA extended beyond his paychecks.
Dennis Rodman wanted to be marketed like every other superstar
‘The Worm’ expressed his discontent with the way he was not only paid less but also marketed poorly by the NBA. In his 1996 book, “Bad As I Wanna Be,” Rodman described how he felt the NBA was prioritizing stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal over him, stating they were being forced upon everyone.
“The NBA is so big on marketing. They were ahead of football and baseball from the start. The league understood what could happen if it flooded people with positive images of the top players. But they’ve gotten so limited in who they market that it’s almost suffocating. Mostly it’s Michael and Shaq. They force those two guys down people’s throats.”
During the 90s, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal emerged as prominent figures, filling the popularity void left by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. They became the NBA’s poster children. So, while it does make sense that the two became David Stern’s favorite superstars, Rodman’s point of wanted to be given more attention still stands.
On the other hand, the 5x NBA champion was an incredibly controversial figure. He did everything from butt heads with Stern over his excessive tattoos and piercings to continually miss practices to party in Las Vegas. Perhaps having Rodman on the backburner as the league’s top marketed superstar was in the league’s best interest if they wanted to remain ‘family friendly’.
