Dennis Rodman is one of the most eccentric players to have ever stepped foot on NBA hardwood. Rodman didn’t enter the league wanting to indulge in the things he went on to indulge in. He simply wanted a steady paycheck given that his upbringing was less than fruitful alongside his mother and sisters.
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After getting drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1986, he would almost immediately get integrated into a championship core. Rodman’s worth on the defensive end and on the glass was put on display, leading to him slowly becoming a well-known name in the NBA community.
However, for Rodman, he would eventually become a name known throughout the United States for things that exceeded the confines of a 94-foot NBA court. His endeavors off it in regards to the constant partying, run-ins with the law, and plethora women would have his name in the headlines every single week.
Dennis Rodman lost $1.1 million in game fines and was asked to seek therapy
Dennis Rodman living his life with bottled up aggression eventually led to him releasing it over a sideline cameraman on a January 15th Chicago Bulls game in 1997. After colliding with him during a hustle play, he kicked the cameraman, leading to an 11-game suspension from Commissioner, David Stern.
This meant him forfeiting those game checks which came up to about $1.1 million. He also settled a lawsuit with the cameraman that paid him $200,000. In the midst of it, Stern even ordered ‘The Worm’ to seek professional help in the form of therapy. Of course, Rodman declined.
This didn’t stop therapists and psychiatrists from taking a crack at the 5x champion. One Chicago based therapist named Mitch Messer said he wanted to delve deep into the unfairness he experienced as a child and help him overcome the feeling of wanting to feel superior over his wrongdoers.
Dennis Rodman continued to live life how he wanted
While Dennis never had another incident on the court as vicious as attacking an innocent cameraman, he never truly went to therapy. Despite therapists claiming they would want to collaborate with him rather than ‘fix him’, he refused.
The closest thing he’s done to therapy is check himself into rehab. He even lived 2 years without alcohol but would go on to claim that it was boring so he started drinking again.
Whether he was under Gregg Popovich’s or Phil Jackson’s coaching, Rodman found ways to live life the way he wanted to. Phil contained him for the most part, something Gregg couldn’t but even ‘The Zen Master’ had to let Rodman go partying in Las Vegas during a title run.
