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.

The disappointing trade

Mike D'Antoni / C.J. / Wikimedia Commons

The hottest news for the New York Knicks is the trade that landed Carmelo Anthony  in the Big Apple. It all started with superstar Amar’e Stoudemire joining the Knicks at the beginning of the 2011 season. With Stoudemire leading the Knicks in points, rebounds, and blocks; the Knicks went on 13-1  run to get in playoff position. Everyone was looking forward to the Anthony trade, but rather than helping the Knicks, it appears he's been a negative influence on them.

At the time of this writing, the Knicks are 7-11 ever since Carmelo Anthony started wearing blue and orange. The Knicks lost to teams that they should have beat, such as the Cavaliers, Pacers, and the Bucks. On March 18th the Knicks lost to the Pistons in which Carmelo Anthony only scored six points. The Knicks did not give up Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Danilo Gallinari for a player who scores only six points. Although Carmelo averages 25 ppg, the shots he takes are not very smart. In a recent interview Amar’e Stoudemire implied that Melo does not follow the D’Antoni system. He stated that the Mike D’Antoni system works; they just have to buy into it and get it done like they did before the trade.

However, Anthony isn’t the only one to blame for the Knicks poor performance. In the recent loss to the Orlando Magic, Anthony seemed to mature and correct his mistakes; instead of throwing up bad shots, he gave out nine assists. The problem for their loss to the Magic was Stoudemire’s performance, in which he scored 13 points, his fewest as a Knick. It is reasonable for Stoudemire to have one bad day because he plays a lot of minutes back to back. If the Knicks want to get back on top, their defense will have to improve, Anthony will have to take smarter shots, and Jared Jeffries would have to further contribute to their offense and be an efficient player. The Knicks are falling, but hopefully they can pick themselves up and get back on top.