The Worm: Looking back at Dennis Rodman's NBA career
Even if you don't follow the NBA or any other sport for that matter, you definitely know who Dennis Rodman is.
He always stood out with his iconic colorful hairstyles and controversial antics. But he's not just a guy with colorful hair. He's also one of the greatest defenders and rebounders in NBA history.
Dennis "The Worm" Rodman won five NBA champions and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. He also led the led the league in rebounding for seven consecutive seasons, made two All-Star teams and earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times.
After playing his college ball at Southeastern Oklahoma State, Rodman was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round (27th overall pick) of the 1986 NBA Draft.
He joined a Detroit squad that consisted of guys like Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, John Salley and Vinnie Johnson.
Rodman eventually became a key member of the "Bad Boys" Pistons, who were known for their ruthless, suffocating defense. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals, Detroit won back-to-back championships the following two years, going down as one of the most well-known teams of all time.
Rodman averaged at least 18.3 rebounds per game—which is pretty crazy to think about—in each of his final two seasons with the Pistons (1991-92 and 1992-1993).
Dennis Rodman during warmups w/ the Spurs(1994) https://t.co/MULBtFPRsu
During the 1993 offseason, Rodman was traded to the San Antonio Spurs as he teamed up with superstar center David Robinson. He led the league in rebounding in both of his two seasons with the team, but his short Spurs career was all about clashing with the front office and off-the-court distractions.
Rodman packs his bags for the the Windy City
San Antonio traded Rodman to the Chicago Bulls prior to the the 1995-96 campaign. It was weird seeing him in a Chicago uniform, knowing that he was part of the heated Pistons vs. Bulls rivalry during the late '80s and early '90s. Instead of battling Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, he was now their teammate.
October 1995 - The Bulls traded Will Perdue to the Spurs for Dennis Rodman.
The rest.... Is #ChicagoHistory ✔️ https://t.co/BybfeVtICB
Rodman would play three seasons with Jordan and Pippen in Chicago, winning a championship each year.
During his first season with the team, the Bulls won an astounding 72 games and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals. They knocked off the Utah Jazz in the Finals the following two years.
The Bulls' dynasty was dismantled after the 1997-98 campaign. Rodman ended his career playing briefly with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.