Titled ‘Worst Teammate’ by Shaquille O’Neal, Dennis Rodman Once Explained Why $400 Million Lakers Star Disliked Him

Dennis Rodman is one of the most eccentric personalities associated with the NBA. The 6ft 7″ forward was excellent at rebounding and defense. He won 5x NBA Championships in his 14 years in the NBA. More than his brilliance on the court, his off-court exploits gained Rodman more popularity.

From going to Vegas between the NBA Finals to becoming a professional wrestler in the offseason, Rodman has his fair share of tales. His exploits with women are something that everyone has heard about. Rodman was married to Carmen Electra for six months.

Just before the start of the 1998-99 season, Rodman was released by the Bulls. He signed with the Lakers for the remainder of the season. The Worm played alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. However, the relationship between the stars wasn’t too good. Rodman explained the same at a summit in 2022.

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“Shaq didn’t like me because I was more famous than him”: Dennis Rodman

Before Dennis Rodman signed with the Lakers, Shaq was the Guy on the Lakers. He was the most popular guy on the team, and Dr. Jerry Buss catered to him dearly. However, when the Purple and Gold brought Rodman, Dr. Buss shifted his attention to the 5x Champion.

Talking about why Shaq disliked him, Rodman said,

“You know what, guys? This is a true story. Jerry Buss (former majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers), he loved Black people. That guy [was] cool as hell. Shaq didn’t like me because I was more famous than him.”

“That’s for real. When I came in, they catered to me.” 

Rodman shared that Buss’ offer came with “champagne” and “eight girls” and added that the team’s executives fired their coach the day he arrived. The Trenton, New Jersey native claimed this didn’t sit well with the Kazaam star. “Shaq didn’t like that because he knew that that sunshine of light wasn’t on his a** no more,” Rodman shared.

Understandably, Shaq always wanted to be The Guy, and even though he was still the same on the court, the lack of attention off the court bothered him.

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Shaq once called Rodman his ‘worst teammate’

Shaquille O’Neal is one of those guys who never holds back and says what’s on his mind. Once on his podcast, the big man talked about the Worm.

“Worst teammate? Dennis Rodman. He was a great player, but he made it hard. Like when you try to corral the guys together and the people above you letting this one guy do whatever he wants. So we had to be there an hour before the game. He’d come in fifteen minutes before the game eating chicken and rice. While the coaches are talking, he would jump in the shower. Cold shower. Come and give you 15-20 rebounds.”

Even though Shaq may not have been a fan of the Worm, he respected his work on the court.

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