The rise and fall of Dennis Rodman: The NBA's original showman

One of the best
The legend of the 'Worm'
Going strong
When the character eats you up
Looking back
A different childhood
Being bullied
A tall teen starts playing basketball
Everything started in Oklahoma
Adoptive family
Incredible physique
Always on the limit
In the NBA at 25
An unexpected father figure
Another father that left him
A rifle, a van and a…
The old Rodman died that day
Rodman 2.0
Rodman and Madonna
He said no to Madonna
A radical but conscious change
Sports Illustrated
Scandalous life
The bride and the groom
The stylist of the stars
Signing for Chicago Bulls
Three seasons and three rings
To Hollywood with Van Damme
A gold mine
Daily controversies
Goodbye Bulls and… NBA
Hall of Fame 2011
Calling for attention
He couldn't afford his lifestyle
From USA to North Korea
A friend, a servant, a fan…
A legend from the past
Ups and downs
The 'Worm': among the best of the best
One of the best

NBA legend Dennis Rodman is one of the greatest defenders ever seen, winning countless rebounding titles and becoming a serial winner with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

The legend of the 'Worm'

Jordan revealed in the ESPN documentary, 'Dennis Rodman: For Better or Worse,' he didn't think his Chicago Bulls teammate, 'the Worm,' would reach his forties. These days, Rodman is 63.

Going strong

Jordan was sure: "In all honesty, playing with Dennis and the lifestyle he lived, I never thought he'd see 40 because he burned the candle at both ends."

When the character eats you up

Dennis Rodman is the best example of how to be a mix between an NBA player and a rockstar. Especially when people tend to glorify these kinds of players. Rodman was the epitome of that glorification, and an ace on the court.

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Looking back

But where does the obsession with breaking the mold come from? How was he able to be as unique, even taking away the spotlight from the best NBA player in history? Well, let's see what the ESPN documentary has to say about that.

A different childhood

Dennis Rodman saw how his father abandoned his home when he was just 3 years old. He was raised by his mother and sisters who used to dress him in dresses, do his makeup and take him to the streets in heels.

 

Being bullied

Meanwhile, at school, as we can see in 'Dennis Rodman: For Better or Worse,' his classmates hit him daily and Rodman didn't try to stop them.

 

A tall teen starts playing basketball

Everything changed during his teenage years when Dennis Rodman grew to be 6 ft 7 (2.01 m). His physique enlarged to supernatural measurements, the bullying was over, and a promising door opened: basketball.

Everything started in Oklahoma

At 20 years, Dennis Rodman started playing in Oklahoma where he would meet his first real friend: Bryn Rich. That friendship would be key to the player's fate.

Adoptive family

The Rich family practically adopted Dennis Rodman and hosted him in their home. In exchange, the big pivot worked for hours on their farm.

Incredible physique

By that time, the incredible physique of Dennis Rodman was evident. Michael Jordan was amazed at how Rodman could go to practice or a game without sleeping and be able to "run like a gazelle."

Always on the limit

Dennis Rodman was excessive in every aspect of his life, both personally and professionally. Limits were not his thing often landing on the audience whilst playing.

In the NBA at 25

Rodman was chosen number 27 in the second draft round in 1986 by Detroit Pistons. There, he met coach Chuck Daly who in the documentary assures that Rodman "wasn't afraid of anything or anybody."

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An unexpected father figure

Daly became the father figure Rodman never had. They spent together special holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Daly didn't drink alcohol and was very professional.

Another father that left him

Between 1989 and 1990, Rodman won the title of Best Defense Player of the NBA and two rings with the Pistons. A year later, Chuck Daly left the team causing Rodman to fall into depression.

A rifle, a van and a…

The departure of his professional dad, mixed with a battle against his ex-wife for the custody of his daughter, pushed the player to try to take away his life in February 1993. He was going to do it in a van with a rifle, but Rodman ended up falling asleep.

The old Rodman died that day

Although he didn't do it, Rodman confessed that the old him died that day. That same year, he signed with San Antonio Spurs and started the season rocking a bleached yellow Mohican inspired by Wesley Snipes in the film 'Demolition Man.'

Image: Warner Bros.

Rodman 2.0

Dennis Rodman was becoming a rockstar. That only intensified when he started dating Madonna in 1994. Rodman loved the fame, and the fame loved Rodman.

Rodman and Madonna

In an interview, the basketball player revealed that he and Madonna had broken up when he refused to have a child with the Queen of Pop as she had asked him to.

He said no to Madonna

Yes, Dennis Rodman had no problem breaking up with one of the most desired women in the world when she was at the peak of her career. The media monster was just starting to develop...

 

A radical but conscious change

With his agent, Dwight Manley, Dennis Rodman embraced a radical change in his look. He started coloring his hair, painting his nails, and dressing up in women's clothes.

Sports Illustrated

The cover of Sports Illustrated was only the icing on the cake. Rodman appeared wearing a corset, leather shorts, and a parrot. History of fashion.

Scandalous life

Changing his image was not all, the change was followed by irreverent declarations about gay bars, steamy NBA locker rooms, relationships with transwomen, and even kissing RuPaul on live TV.

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The bride and the groom

In the middle of all that style frenzy, Dennis Rodman outdid himself when he dressed as a bride to marry himself in the presentation of his biography 'Bad As I want to Be' (1996).

The stylist of the stars

And it wasn't something random or crazy. It was all the work of Kevyn Aucoin, the makeup artist of artists like Madonna and Cher who was able to mix Rodman's tough masculinity with his most feminine side.

Signing for Chicago Bulls

The book was a best-seller, and his fame didn't stop growing. To top it all off, Rodman signed for Chicago Bulls right when Michael Jordan came back from his terrible baseball hiatus.

 

Three seasons and three rings

The 'Worm' did a fantastic job in the Bulls of Jordan: he won three MVP rings and the eternal respect of the basketball world under the wings of Air Jordan.

To Hollywood with Van Damme

What was missing in Rodman's career? The Hollywood call that came with the film 'Double Team' in 1997, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.

A gold mine

That year, Rodman earned 10 million dollars outside the basketball court, three million more than what the Bulls were paying him. NBA's bad boy was smashing it.

Daily controversies

During that time, police were almost every day knocking on Rodman's door because of neighbors' complaints. He was arrested several times for driving under the influence of alcohol, public outrage, and street fights. He couldn't stop.

Goodbye Bulls and… NBA

But eventually, the audience got tired of his excesses. Rodman left the Bulls in 1998 and was in the Lakers and Mavericks before finally retiring from the NBA in 2000, without making much noise.

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Hall of Fame 2011

Still, in 2011, he won his spot in the Hall of Fame next to his two teammates: Pippen and Jordan.

Calling for attention

Marrying the actress Carmen Electra in 1998 (they were married just 9 days) and changing his name to 'Orga**' were some of his last moves to get attention. But these controversies didn't stop him from disappearing from the media scene.

He couldn't afford his lifestyle

His income had become a lot less and he could no longer afford his excessive lifestyle. It's calculated that during his time in the NBA, Rodman earned 27 million dollars, but in the end, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Dennis Rodman only had a net worth of 500,000 dollars.

From USA to North Korea

The need for income pushed him to accept a contract that consisted of rebranding the idea the Western world had of North Korea. Once his agent knew what North Korea was about, it was too late, and the contract had already been signed.

A friend, a servant, a fan…

It turns out that Kim Jong-Un was a Bulls fan since he had studied in Switzerland in the '90s. He and Rodman became friends and the relationship between the American player and North Korea remains good to this day.

 

A legend from the past

Now, Dennis Rodman belongs to a glorious '90s past that is full of wonderful memories and important figures like Pamela Anderson or Jason Priestley.

 

Ups and downs

After several times in rehab, five biographies, and thousands of controversies, the 'Worm' has managed to reach 63 and his rebel spirit keeps wanting more.

The 'Worm': among the best of the best

Selected as one of the Best 75 Players in NBA History, Rodman will forever hold the title of the most revolutionary basketball player, inside and outside the court.

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