What pops into your head when you hear the name Dennis Rodman? Probably wild hair, tattoos, piercings, and a wardrobe no one else would dare rock. Known as the “Bad Boy” of basketball, Rodman made headlines more for his off-court antics than his rebounds. From dying his hair every color under the sun to even showing up in a wedding dress, he was as unpredictable as they come. But here’s the thing—whatever Rodman says now, it somehow fits perfectly with that untamed, unapologetic persona he’s always had. And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
During a chat with N3ON, Dennis Rodman was asked about his fiercest rival—and you might immediately guess Karl Malone just by watching his game. On the court, their rivalry peaked during the late ’90s NBA Finals, with Rodman’s Chicago Bulls facing Malone’s Utah Jazz in back-to-back title clashes. Off the court, things got wild—Rodman skipped practice to join WCW’s “Bash at the Beach” in 1998, teaming with Hulk Hogan against Malone and Diamond Dallas Page. The match lasted nearly 24 minutes but didn’t impress fans, marking a downturn for WCW. But this was not Rodman’s answer.
Rodman put it straight when asked about his fiercest rival, as posted on Instagram by Complex Sports, “My biggest rival? Dennis Rodman… I had to defeat myself to earn my way to be in the NBA. I had to. I depend on me to make it… When you make it back in the day, you making like 75,000. You still gotta go to work summertime. You still poor. So, first three years of my life, like most people back then, you have to go to work.”
Dennis Rodman’s childhood was anything but easy. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he faced abandonment early when his dad, Philander Rodman Jr., left the family when Dennis was just three years old. Growing up in poverty, his mom, Shirley, worked odd jobs to make ends meet, Rodman said, “I don’t remember when my mother ever hugged me or anything; I don’t remember that. I can’t even think of one [time].” Moving to Oak Cliff in Dallas, a rough neighborhood, didn’t make things easier, and Rodman struggled to make friends because he was so shy.
After high school, things got even harsher—his mom kicked him out since he didn’t have a job, leaving him homeless. He admits, “I thought I would be in jail. I thought I’d be a d— dealer or be dead. Those were my options.” Battling depression and alcoholism, Rodman often acted erratically. Yet against all odds, his talent shone through. Picked by the Detroit Pistons as the 27th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, Rodman was just getting started—and soon faced one of the hardest players to guard in the league.
Rodman opens up about guarding his legendary opponent
His battles with Lakers superstar in the late ‘80s were intense. Rodman admitted years later, “Usually, the guys I defended were bigger than me. But Worthy matched up height-wise, and I still couldn’t guard his a–. He’d come off a screen, and I’d try to see if he was going over the top or underneath. Next thing I knew, he was at the rim.” Worthy, meanwhile, respected Rodman’s physicality and skill, saying, “He (Dennis Rodman) was bad, man. Dennis was a machine. He could guard anybody on the floor… Because he knew how to get physical and play and fly in. But his foot speed matched mine… Dennis was a beast, man.”
The two also played mind games like few others could. Worthy revealed, “He had the psychological games to get in your head. Before the game, you’d give him a dap. He squeezed my a– a little too… It wasn’t like, ‘Let’s go’… So now you’re thinking. You running down the court thinking about this motherf—–, while he getting every f—— offensive rebound there is.” Between the physical intensity and the mental warfare, it’s no wonder the Rodman-Worthy matchups are still remembered as some of the most electric moments in NBA Finals history.
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