Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman was known to be a huge party animal off the court. A talented player, Rodman had consistent issues with mental health and did not possess the same discipline his teammate Michael Jordan did. According to his book, “I Should Be Dead By Now,” Rodman decided to get clean for a few days during the 1996 NBA Finals. However, it had the opposite of helping, and his team actually ended up losing.
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Rodman was back to his ways for game 6, and ironically enough he had a much better game. The Chicago Bulls won the Finals 4-2 and Michael Jordan got his hands on what was his 4th NBA title.
Dennis Rodman claimed he was a better player when he was partying during the nights
Rodman claimed in his book that his experience during the 1996 NBA Finals. Playing against Gary Peyton and Shaun Kemp’s Seattle Supersonics, the Bulls were leading 3-0 before a fightback from the Sonics.
Rodman claimed that he decided to pull off a “David Robinson,” and not party for a few days. The result? Two subpar performances resulted in two losses.
With the series now 3-2, Rodman decided to get back to his ways for game 6. He drank Sake Bombers at his favorite sushi restaurant and then spent time with a deejay who was named “Psychobitch.” He ended his “night” with breakfast at a Third Coast, and ended up playing much better:
“We kicked Sonic ass. I got 19 rebounds, nine points, five assists, and drove Shawn Kemp nuts on defense. At least one reporter said I was the MVP of the game, and Sonics coach George Karl gave me credit for the win. The final score was 87-75, giving us the championship in six.”
Dennis Rodman had a huge role in Chicago Bulls 2nd three-peat
Rodman joined the Bulls in 1995, as a 2-time NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons. Rodman was the best defender in a hugely talented team.
It was his defensive versatility and hunger that allowed the other talented offensive players around him to focus on scoring. Rodman might have had his troubles off the court, but he had a huge role in the titles that the Bulls won from 1996-98.
While Scottie Pippen has criticized Jordan for the way he portrayed other Bulls’ players in the documentary, “The Last Dance,” MJ was all praise for Rodman. Jordan claimed that Rodman was one of the smartest players he played with, and understood the game well:
“Dennis is one of the smartest guys I played with. He understood defensive strategy with all the rotations and he had no limits in terms of what he does.”
