“Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would always miss coming off the right”: Dennis Rodman maniacally studied rebounding while not revealing too many of his secrets

Dennis Rodman knew exactly how to rebound for Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and against guys like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. 

Dennis Rodman was undoubtedly one of the most erratic and unpredictable athletes in North American sports history, both on and off NBA hardwood. His days alongside Isiah Thomas and the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons shaped him into the maniacal, rebounding machine that would later help Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen claim six total championships. 

Unlike several other talented athletes who let their off-court ‘shenanigans’ get the better of them while they’re on the court, Dennis Rodman was wired differently. It felt as though his untamed personality while amongst the masses helped him be the best version of himself when battling down-low for extra possessions.

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In the ‘Last Dance’ docuseries, fans could tell that Rodman knew exactly what he what doing even though he had merely two tasks at hand: rebounding and defense. A statline that he had while on the Spurs perfectly encapsulates Dennis Rodman as a player- 0 points and 28 rebounds. 

Dennis Rodman was a rebounding savant and didn’t let too many of his secrets be known. 

During the aforementioned ‘The Last Dance’ docuseries, in less than 40 seconds, he let fans understand what he did to perfect his craft at rebounding. At a stout 6’7, Dennis Rodman needed all the tips and tricks he could acquire to give himself the edge.

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“I told my teammates to shoot the ball. Shoot over here, shoot over here, shoot over there; I just had that reaction. I just practiced a lot about the angle of the ball and the trajectory of it. You got a Larry Bird, it’s (the ball) going to spin. You’ve got a Magic, it’ll maybe spin. When Michael shoot over here, I position myself right there.” 

When asked about his ‘tips and tricks’, Dennis Rodman quickly shut it down by referring to them as techniques. He also claimed that he wouldn’t want to delve any further into it because, “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”