"This s**t is itchy - John Salley once revealed Dennis Rodman's Bulls jerseys were replicas of the official game unis
NBA legend Dennis Rodman was integral to the latter half of the Chicago Bulls' 1990s dynasty. Nevertheless, according to his ex-teammate John Salley, Chicago made "The Worm" wear replica jerseys as part of a cost-cutting measure.
Rodman, who garnered a reputation for being one of the NBA's most flamboyant stars, made a habit of tossing his game-worn jerseys to fans. However, the league wasn't as lucrative back then. So, the Bulls supposedly implemented a plan to save money on the two-time All-Star's jersey giveaways.
On the "That's F***ed Up Podcast" last year, Salley, who played alongside Rodman on the Detroit Pistons and Chicago, recounted the Bulls' solution. Per the four-time NBA champion, the franchise made Rodman sport knockoff jerseys during games. However, Rodman purportedly wasn't a fan of the switch-up.
"Dennis Rodman would take his jersey off and throw it in the audience, and they started giving Dennis the not-so-official jersey," Salley said. "So, he got the s**t that you can buy. That's why he threw the s**t off. He was like, 'This s**t is itchy.'"
An NBA franchise making such a decision is virtually unfathomable in today's league. However, if true, it seemingly didn't hinder Rodman's production, as he went on to help the Bulls secure their second three-peat from 1996 to 1998.
John Salley used to steal Bulls merchandise while playing with Dennis Rodman
During last year's "That's F***ed Up Podcast" appearance, John Salley shared another story depicting the contrast between the '90s and modern-day NBA.
According to Salley, while playing alongside Dennis Rodman during the 1995-96 season, he used to steal Chicago's team merchandise from the locker room. Afterward, he attempted to get Bulls legend Michael Jordan to autograph his haul, seemingly to increase the items' resale value.
"It's funny because they hang up the jerseys and they steam them. I was stealing all kinds of s**t," Salley said. "I knew they were looking for s**t, and then I would come to MJ and I opened my bag like, 'Sign this.' He'd be like, 'Where the f**k did you steal this?' 'Just sign this s**t.' Because the trainer wouldn't give me this*s**t, so I would just steal the motherf**ker."
Salley quipped that he stole team gear to compensate for his lack of stability as a 10-day contract player. In March of 1996, he received consecutive 10-day contracts from the Bulls before being signed for the remainder of the season.
Despite seemingly being strapped for cash, Salley ultimately played a minor role on Chicago's then-record-breaking 72-10 regular-season team. Afterward, he won his third championship, serving as the Bulls' 11th man during the 1996 playoffs.
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