Michael Jordan prompted the Chicago Bulls to improve massively after he was drafted in 1984. However, it was when Phil Jackson brought the ‘Triangle Offense’ system with him, replacing Doug Collins as head coach, that the Chicago side saw a boom in their attack. Being a key member of the Bulls during their second three-peat, Dennis Rodman had the chance to play in the system. Using that first-hand knowledge, the five-time NBA Champion sat down with ESPN in 2020 to explain how the triangle offense worked, just four years after revealing his awkward relationship with MJ.
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In 2016, Rodman agreed to do an interview with Graham Bensinger. During their sit-down, the two talked about Rodman’s time with the Bulls and their championship seasons (1995-1998). As they did, a rather unexpected fact about the team’s Big Three came to the forefront. The following is what Rodman said on the matter:
“Me, Scottie, and Michael never had a conversation in three years in Chicago. Only time we had a conversation was on the court. That was it, and nobody believes that. I had a conversation with Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, and other players. But, me, Michael, and Scottie, we never had conversations at all off the court .”
Dennis Rodman explains the triangle offense
Dennis Rodman may have been one of the more controversial characters in the NBA during his time. However, he was a deceivingly smart basketball player too. This was reflected in his deep understanding of the ‘triangle offense’, an intricate offensive system that was made famous by the Bulls.
A complete understanding of the system has often eluded the common fan. To help fix that problem, Rodman sat down with ESPN in 2020, explaining just how everything worked, something you can watch in the YouTube clip below.
“As you can see right here, Ron Harper is bringing the ball down. Now, I’m going to form the triangle on top… And look at Michael Jordan. He follows right behind me to go on that low post right there. It doesn’t matter who is playing what position. Everyone has the option to touch this ball here. And basically, he’s going to throw it to me, Michael is going to set the triangle…”
Dennis Rodman also went on to explain the team’s offensive system on fast breaks. Talking about his task to throw an outlet pass to the player closest to the basket, ‘the Worm’ even claimed that he is one of the greatest ever at that play.
Admittedly, even as Rodman explains the system, it is a lot to take in. The fact that he can do it so nonchalantly really gives fans an idea of how great his basketball IQ is and always has been. Perhaps, this should be considered far more when his name comes up in all-time discussions as well.
However, while Rodman understood the system almost flawlessly, there were times Michael Jordan couldn’t quite keep up.
Jordan’s teammate once wanted him out of the game for ruining the triangle
The triangle offense emphasizes the constant creation of options and movement of the ball. For Jordan, it was a system that did not come naturally to him. After all, the Bulls legend was used to having the ball in his hands at all times, before Phil Jackson entered the picture.
On one occasion, that got him in trouble with a former teammate, Tex Winter. The roleplayer demanded that Jordan be taken out of the game. Why? Because he was allegedly holding onto the ball too much. Read all the details of the incident and what happened next, here.
