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“Me, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen could lock up LeBron James”: When Dennis Rodman firmly stated him and his fellow Bulls legends could defend Lakers star at a high level

Samir Mehdi
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“Me, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen could lock up LeBron James”: When Dennis Rodman firmly stated him and his fellow Bulls legends could defend Lakers star at a high level

Dennis Rodman claimed that him along with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lock up LeBron James without any issues. 

When the Chicago Bulls signed Dennis Rodman in the summer of 1995 after he had just made an All-NBA team, they had effectively formed the greatest perimeter defensive trio of all time. Him alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had players scrambling all across the arc, not knowing whether or not a switch was even an option. 

All together, this Bulls trio made 27 All-Defensive teams throughout their careers and it was apparent as to why this was the case. In merely their first season together, they posted the number one ranked defensive in the league with a DRTG of 101.8. They would go on to be one of the best defensive teams in the league the following two seasons as well (rank 3 and 9, respectively).

Also read: “Kim Jong Un wants to come to America and have fun!”: When Dennis Rodman eloquently defended the infamous dictator of North Korea, on live television

When it came to guys from the 90s, Dennis Rodman and company had no problem defending them. However, when talking about guys from the 2000s and 2010s, the story may be a bit different. 

Dennis Rodman on how him and his Bulls teammates would defend LeBron James. 

Going off the numbers alone, LeBron James is the greatest scorer of all time. It makes no sense to hold the ‘most regular season points’ title in higher esteem than ‘most points scored across both the regular and post-season’. If the latter were in question, James has already accomplished than this past season as he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for it.

Also read: “Phil Jackson controlled Dennis Rodman using Zen techniques!”: When the Bulls head coach used Zen-Buddhism to deal with Dennis The Menace

Dennis Rodman however, back in 2019, claimed him along with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lock LeBron up, no problem. 

“You know who can lock up LeBron?” asked ‘The Worm’. “Me, Mike, and Scottie could. LeBron is so easy to play. He’s so f**king easy to play. He don’t have any moves. Scottie Pippen could shut his f**king a** down quick before I get to him. His game is too simple, he’s just big. Now, 260 whatever, 6’8. That’s the only thing he got, pretty much. I’ve played against guys 7-foot, 300. So, it doesn’t really matter.” 

LeBron James, as he usually never does, never responded to Dennis Rodman about these comments of his. However, it is quite obvious that James isn’t the ‘barrel to the rim in hopes of a foul’ type guy. He’s expanded his range, gotten better footwork, better post-moves leading to fadeaways, and so much more. 

The narrative that the 4x champ doesn’t have a bag is simply much too outdated. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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