Basketball fans of today remember Dennis Rodman as a Chicago Bulls legend and one of the chief engineers behind the team’s second three-peat from 1996 to 98. However, there was a time when Rodman’s inclusion into the Bulls squad shocked NBA fans across the globe for a multitude of reasons. Following the Bulls’ infamous rivalry with the Pistons in the late 80s and the early 90s, it seemed unlikely that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would welcome a former ‘Bad Boy’ in the team. In addition, Rodman’s reputation as the ultimate disruptor didn’t quite fascinate the Bulls’ management either.
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Meanwhile, Rodman was facing dire financial consequences for his extravagant lifestyle at the time. Therefore, money was the chief concern for the veteran power forward while negotiating a deal with Chicago’s front office. As a matter of fact, he demanded a three-year $15,000,000 deal from the Bulls’ management and even planned out how he would dispense the funds before the deal went through.
Dennis Rodman planned his $15 million expenditure before even signing the deal
The prospect of Dennis Rodman joining the Bulls posed a big problem for then-GM Jerry Krause and head coach Phil Jackson in 1995. The Worm’s reputation as a chaotic presence in the team preceded him. Rodman was often late to practice, missed games, took sudden leaves, and showed minimal investment in team affairs. Headbutting opposing players and throwing a bag of ice at Spurs coach Bob Hill during an exhibition game didn’t help his cause either. However, Krause and Jackson still decided to take a chance with Rodman.
On the other hand, the former Pistons forward wasn’t on the best of terms with many Bulls players, courtesy of the rough playing style of the ‘Bad Boys’ fueled by hard fouls and scrappy defensive ploys. Rodman’s hard foul on Scottie Pippen in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals is a prime example of the kind of plays etched in the minds of the Bulls roster.
A 34-year-old Dennis Rodman was looking at his options in the NBA dwindling rapidly due to his lifestyle and overall wild behavior. He was desperate for another contract due to the evils of his own creation. Therefore, Rodman didn’t hesitate when Phil Jackson asked him to apologize to Scottie Pippen for his past antics. Pippen squashed his beef with the Rebound King. Michael Jordan also gave the green signal, keeping in mind the need for an effective rebounder and defender in a championship contender team.
Soon, Rodman was looking at a lucrative contract, which he didn’t take long to deconstruct. In fact, the two-time NBA All-Star immediately fleshed out a plan to spend his salary. Roland Lazenby notes in Michael Jordan: The Life:
“And like that, Dennis “The Worm” Rodman, the NBA’s thirty-four-year-old adolescent, became a Chicago Bull. He was looking for a two-or three-year deal in the neighborhood of $15 million. “I’ll put five million in the bank, live off the interest, and party my ass off,” he told reporters, which, as time would reveal, is exactly what he did.”
The Bulls imposed checks and balances to contain Rodman
According to a Sports Illustrated report, Rodman’s Bulls contract is often touted “to be the most incentive-driven deal in NBA history”. When he was traded to the Bulls for Will Perdue, Rodman was in the last year of an old contract he had signed with the Pistons, which guaranteed him $2.5 million.
Chicago offered him $9 million for the 1996-97 season. For the ‘Last Dance’ or the concluding 1997-98 season for the Bulls’ three-peat, Rodman received a base salary of $4.5 million. However, his contract promised a total of $5.95 million in performance-based incentives, including a $1 million bonus for showing up in all the games of the season, save one, when healthy.
Navigating through Rodman’s demands and bringing out the best of him was not an easy task to accomplish for the Bulls’ front office. But their hard work paid off when the five-time NBA champion won his last three rings in Chicago.
