Tag: Dennis Rodman

NBA stars who had a winning record against Michael Jordan

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during …

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during his early days with the weak Chicago Bulls roster in the mid-80s or when he donned the Washington Wizards jersey.

Few accomplished that when MJ and his team were at the peak of their powers – most notably a towering center from the Western Conference.

Here’s a list of stars who retired with a winning record against the GOAT:

‘Today’ show faceplants with awkward question for Rodman about father

This was an own goal for the NBC morning show

It may be back to the drawing board for the research department at the “Today” show.

The morning show is going heavy on the Olympics over the next two weeks, with NBC and its family of networks holding the rights to the Paris Games.

On Friday morning, the show hosted the two goalscorers from the U.S. women’s national team’s Olympics-opening 3-0 win over Zambia.

It was all shaping up as standard morning-show fare with guests Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, before host Hoda Kotb killed the mood with an awkward follow-up for Rodman.

“Did your dad call and give you an ‘attagirl’ after that one?” Kotb inquired.

Handling the moment deftly, Rodman quickly responded: “Nope, but my mom was there. She gave me a big ol’ hug.”

Rodman, of course, is the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman. And as Kotb and the show’s staff should have known, she doesn’t have much of a relationship with the ex-Chicago Bulls star.

The USWNT forward has periodically spoken about her father, but she opened up on their relationship — or lack thereof — in a 2021 post on Instagram.

“My dad doesn’t play a big role in my life at all and most people don’t know that, we don’t see eye to eye on many things,” Rodman said.

“I go months if not years without his presence or communication. Being in spotlights has been hard for us, him and me. We don’t have the best relationship, but at the end of the day he’s human I’m human… he’s my dad, and I’m his little girl that will never change.”

Kudos to Rodman for handling a potentially awkward moment on live TV with grace. As for the “Today” show — we’ll call that one an own goal.

[lawrence-related id=78701,78704,78712]

David Robinson on Dennis Rodman’s leadership: ‘He is not that guy’

During a recent interview, San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson spoke about Dennis Rodman’s leadership.

One of the most dominant big men in NBA history, David Robinson was a great leader on the San Antonio Spurs. He ended up winning two championships alongside Tim Duncan in San Antonio while also earning 10- All-Star nods, 10 All-NBA appearances, one DPOY, and one MVP.

During his time with the Spurs, Robinson got the chance to play with some elite NBA talent, highlighted by Duncan, as previously mentioned. However, he also played with some interesting characters, Dennis Rodman being the most notable of the bunch. Rodman had a very interesting NBA career, and while he’s best known for his time with the Chicago Bulls, he was also a Spur for two seasons.

In a recent interview with Joe Buck, Robinson spoke at length about his experience with Rodman. (H/t Shane Garry Acedera of Basketball Network)

“You know what? I love Dennis. I really do,” Robinson said. “He’s an unbelievable player, incredibly athletic. I mean, he was like Superman. Like, he just was a freak of nature. The guy could run all day long, never got tired, and was like the Energizer bunny. I loved having him next to me on the court because you always felt like, you know you just got a warrior with you. So on the court, he’s a great guy to have next to you. In the locker room is a little different story.”

However, he also noted that Rodman wasn’t a great leader.

“You know, he marches to the beat of his own drum,” Robinson said. “Like when you need a leader, a leader needs to be tuned in to what everybody else is doing. A leader needs to say, ‘Hey, how do I help this guy and that guy?’ And so that was hard for him. He is not that guy.”

Rodman was great at what he did best, but leading wasn’t necessarily part of that.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Dante Exum channeled Dennis Rodman on this hustle play and the camerawork was stunning

Dante Exum looked like The Worm!

After spending a few years away from the NBA, former top-five pick Dante Exum has earned a spot back in the rotation for the Dallas Mavericks.

The 28-year-old Australian-born guard has found a solid role for himself in Dallas. He showed how he is earning minutes with a solid hustle play against one of his former teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the game, instead of going out of bounds for a turnover, Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen threw the ball off Exum.

But as he saw this happen, Exum laid out for the ball in an attempt to give Dallas control of the play. This reminded some fans of the legendary Dennis Rodman, who would regularly put his body on the line to keep a possession alive.

The twitch, body control, effort and awareness from Exum was outstanding. But it was also nothing new if you have watched him play this season.

Exum has averaged 1.3 loose balls recovered per 36 minutes, via NBA.com, which is tied for the seventh-most among those who have logged at least as many minutes so far this season.

While was a tremendous display of athleticism on the play by Exum, as noted by play-by-play announcer Mark Followill, this was equally good work from Mavericks television broadcast cameraman Gregg Schmidt.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]

Robert Horry tells the story of Dennis Rodman getting kicked out of practice

Former Lakers forward Robert Horry recalled a time when then-teammate Dennis Rodman drove head coach Kurt Rambis to his wits’ end.

During the abbreviated 1999 season, the Los Angeles Lakers had Shaquille O’Neal, then the most dominant player in the NBA, and a young, budding superstar named Kobe Bryant. Yet despite their natural talent, they hadn’t come close to winning a world championship.

That year, they needed a power forward, and management believed bringing Dennis Rodman out of mothballs was the solution.

Rodman had recently retired once the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls dynasty ended. He was one of basketball’s greatest defensive players ever and arguably the sport’s greatest rebounder, but he was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one, not even Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, had figured out how to fully keep him in check.

With the Lakers, Rodman made a positive impact at first, but his excessive partying and eccentricities started to hurt the team. He often showed up late to practice, yet one of the few times he arrived on time, he still found a way to irritate head coach Kurt Rambis.

Teammate Robert Horry recalled on the “Uninterrupted Podcast” how Rodman drove Rambis to his wits’ end.

“The first time Rodman ever made it to practice on time, he had no shoes because someone stole (his shoes),” Horry said. “He walked in there (with no shoes), and – we talked about having a day – Kurt Rambis had a bad day. He was like, ‘I’m sick of you (expletive). Get the (expletive) out.’”

After 23 games, Rodman was released by the Lakers. During that time, he averaged 11.2 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per contest.

They were swept that season by the San Antonio Spurs. Afterward, Jackson replaced Rambis as their head coach, and the rest was history. The Lakers ripped off three straight NBA titles and five over the next 11 seasons.

Doc Rivers told a wild story about hiring Dennis Rodman to babysit his children (including Austin)

Doc Rivers said the house was a MESS.

Doc Rivers has transitioned from the coaching sidelines to the broadcasting booth, which means fans are about to hear some interesting stories.

Rivers, who is now working for ESPN and was on the call during the Lakers game against the Kings on Wednesday night, told a fascinating story about a time when he was teammates with Dennis Rodman.

Apparently, when Rivers and Rodman were teammates on the Spurs, the future coach asked the five-time NBA champion for an unusual favor.

Here is what Rivers said:

“It was a one-time thing when I was in San Antonio. I wanted to go out and we used Dennis Rodman for one night babysitting Austin,” said Rivers. “I don’t know if I’m the parent of the year or the worst parent.”

Rodman, who is known for his colorful personality and eccentric antics both on and off the court, probably isn’t at the top of your list for who you would expect to ask to help out with a babysitting gig.

According to Rivers, though, the former Bulls star said that he loved babysitting. Rivers added that Rodman “did a great job” but that the house was a mess.

Rivers and Rodman were teammates during the 1994-95 season. That means that Austin (who played in the NBA from 2012 until 2023) was two or three years old. Doc’s daughter Callie, now married to NBA guard Seth Curry, was likely around five or six at the time.

We would love to hear what Austin and Callie remember, if anything, about this experience!

[lawrence-related id=914123,730107,2055973,2008609,1943025]

Bulls legend Dennis Rodman gets emotional returning to United Center

Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman got emotional when talking about his time in the city.

Throughout the 1990s, the Chicago Bulls were on top of the NBA world. Led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the Bulls took home six championships over the course of eight years. But while those two were at the forefront, Dennis Rodman joined them midway through their run, helping them during the latter three title pushes.

Rodman recently made a return to United Center in Chicago for AEW’s shows in the city. He was a part of the festivities, standing in the corner with The Acclaimed, a wrestling group. But when he was asked about his history with the city and team, Rodman got emotional.

He has fond memories of his time in the city and spoke about his appreciation for the love he receives from Chicago.

The Hall of Fame big man is undoubtedly a Bulls legend and despite his… unique history in the league, it’s great to see his fondness for Chicago.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Dominique Wilkins pushes back vs. Dennis Rodman’s, JJ Redick’s criticisms of Larry Bird

“Larry Bird could play in any era and do the same thing he did in our era,” said ‘Nique.

Hall of Fame forward Dominique Wilkins, known for his battles with fellow Boston Celtics alum Larry Bird while he was still with the Atlanta Hawks, recently defended Bird against criticism from former NBAer Dennis Rodman. Despite the infamous trash-talking between Wilkins and Bird, they developed mutual respect over the years that the Human Highlight Reel still has to this day.

Wilkins confronted Rodman for his claim that Bird couldn’t excel in the modern NBA in a recent interview with Vlad TV via the Basketball Network’s Owen Crisafulli. “I have a lot of respect for Dennis, I know Dennis well, he’s a good dude, but that’s delusional,” said Wilkins.

“Larry Bird could play in any era and do the same thing he did in our era. It couldn’t handle him, today’s players could not handle him.”

Wilkins did not reserve his ire for The Worm alone, also addressing critiques from “Old Man and the 3” podcast host JJ Redick for suggesting the physicality of the modern game would be too much for Bird. “It’s a stupid comment because Larry Bird played in the most physical era ever,” he said.

“He’s 6’10, almost 6’11, and he was physical himself … it’s like, what league (are) you watching? Physicality is gone, it’s not like it was back then … that is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Victor Wembanyama has a colorful haircut like Jeremy Sochan and now looks completely different

Wemby looks SO different!

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said he was going to disappear from the spotlight for a bit and now, he looks very different.

Wembanyama, who was shut down after two games during NBA 2K24 Summer League, was incredibly busy for the days and weeks that were both leading up to and following the 2023 NBA Draft.

He led his team to the championship in France and then became one of the most popular subjects in the sports world when he became the No. 1 overall pick. The least he could do was take some time to regroup and collect himself and his thoughts.

But now that he is back as the Spurs prepare for their training camp, which begins next month, he has returned with an entirely different aesthetic.

Wembanyama, like his teammate Jeremy Sochan, now has a colorful dyed haircut. Take a look:

Wembanyama and Sochan certainly now have the most colorful hair of any frontcourt combination in the NBA, if that is worth anything.

But these two players are not the first defensive-oriented San Antonio forwards to dye their hair and play for the Spurs. That title, of course, belongs to the legendary Dennis Rodman.

[lawrence-related id=2117596,2095367,1958235,2081434]

Dennis Rodman on the differences between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Dennis Rodman talked about how his former teammates Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were similar, but a little different as well.

Dennis Rodman, the NBA Hall of Fame forward and quite possibly the greatest rebounder ever, is one of the luckiest men in the history of Western civilization.

He played three seasons on the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, during which he won three straight world championships. Shortly afterward, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Before all of that, he started his career with Isiah Thomas’ Detroit Pistons, with whom he won his first two NBA titles.

As a result, Rodman had a front-row seat to witness what creates athletic greatness at its highest level.

During a recent interview with DJ Vlad, he outlined the differences between Jordan and the late great Bryant (h/t Sportskeeda).

“I think Michael was more driven to win,” Rodman said about Michael Jordan. “He hates the fact that, we’re gonna win, we’re gonna win and he took control of that, you know. I give him that credit right there. I give him that it’s like I would say, Scottie had that will, too, but Kobe became like that. Kobe started to emulate his game like Michael and stuff like that.

“I think Kobe was more like a gymnast, you know, when he played, and Mike was more like […] you know a ballet dance because you know what most of the time he plays on his toes. When he does everything it’s always like boom boom of a sudden one-two punch,” Rodman added.

For decades, countless fans and analysts have compared and contrasted Jordan and Bryant. One thing is absolutely true: Both had an iron will to win and a refusal to lose, and that quality drove both to the highest level of athletic greatness.