WATCH: Dennis Rodman gets overwhelmed with touching tribute in return to United Center
Dennis Rodman received deafening cheers when he was announced at the United Center ahead of their skirmish against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The 5x NBA champion won three of his rings with the Chicago Bulls between 1996 and 1998 as the team won their second three-peat.
After missing out on the Ring of Honor ceremony, he was welcomed warmly by the Windy City fans. The former NBA DPOY was a picture of emotion and fought back tears when he was cheered on at the arena.
There wasn't a lot Rodman could say as he choked up with tears.
“I don’t know what to say man, thank you.”
Rodman was seen in a black tee and a Bulls cap on backwards. He had his signature dark sunglasses on as the mascot cheered for him along with the fans.
During his time with Chicago, Rodman was a dominant defensive presence known for his aggressive rebounding and defensive hustle. While the team had prolific shooters in Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the forward was one who locked up opponents to make the Bulls a well-rounded outfit.
As for his own offensive abilities, Rodman did not make a lot of scoring contributions during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, the LA Lakers, or the Dallas Mavericks.
Much of it came with the Pistons where he averaged 8.8 points in his seven seasons. Overall, Dennis Rodman spent 14 years in the league averaging 7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
"We can beat anybody with our eyes closed": Dennis Rodman skeptical about Bulls 72-10 legendary run
The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were widely regarded as the greatest NBA team ever. That season saw the Windy City's 'Big 3' of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman take Chicago to a 72-10 win and win the NBA championship — their fourth in six years.
However, that didn't leave 'The Worm' impressed as he believed the rest of the teams in the league were not really competitive. In one of his interviews in 1996, Rodman kept it pretty blunt.
"This league is so filtered and watered down, we can beat anybody with our eyes closed, pretty much."
Rodman's pyrotechnics on the defensive end saw him make the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times. In addition, he led the league in rebounds per game for seven straight years, which was instrumental in winning five titles with two different franchises.
The Pisons retired his jersey and he was later inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. In October 2021, Dennis Rodman was named in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.