The controversies of Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman / Tuomas Venhola-Wikimedia Commons

If you’re a basketball fan, a die-hard enthusiast or just someone who watches the game because nothing else is on, you’ve heard of “The Worm.” Dennis Rodman is known for being arguably the greatest rebounder of all time in NBA history, with 11,594 rebounds to his name during his 14-season career; however, if you know Rodman, then you also know about his flashy looks and wild antics on and off the court.

Growing up in Dallas, Rodman had a difficult childhood. He was raised in a poor surrogate family in the projects, and did not get things in life so easily.

“I think back to times like that and realize how easy everything is for me now,” Rodman said, in his 1996 autobiography “Bad As I Wanna Be”. “I think that's why I strive to make my life so difficult now. I'm not comfortable being comfortable.”

At only 5’6” in high school, Rodman was the last person you would expect to be drafted into the NBA. After getting an invitation from Cooke County Junior College, he flunked out after a year because he couldn’t keep up with the schoolwork. He was later enrolled at Southeastern Oklahoma State, the only college that accepted him. While Rodman was on the college basketball team, he was a force to be reckoned with, averaging 26 points and 16 rebounds per game.

The Detroit Pistons drafted Rodman as a second round pick in 1986. Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Rodman has played for multiple teams, and won five championships en route to his 2011 enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. For all his success, trouble and criticism were never far behind. He racked up quite a few fines for being physically aggressive toward referees and in 1997, he paid $200,000 to settle a case that he had kicked a cameraman in the groin. He frequently dyed his hair, and wore outfits that can be deemed questionable. For example, during the Legends of Basketball Tour 2014 in Argentina, he played while dressed as a drag queen, with a blonde mohawk, purple lipstick and a face full of makeup.

“From his outward appearance, it was clear that Rodman would lose no opportunity to express himself,” said Joseph Edwards in a 2014 AirAlamo.com article.

The sense that he was wild was something he accepted as part of his on-court persona. Despite his track record of breaking rules, it was clearly seen through his performance that he would never deny his self-expression.

“You can like me or you can hate me, all I know is one thing; when I step on this floor I’m gonna get things poppin,” said Rodman in a 2014 AirAlamo.com article.