DJ Rodman injury: What happened to the son of NBA legend in the game vs Arizona?
With the USC Trojans going through a mini-injury crisis, veteran DJ Rodman and freshman Bronny James have been forced to step up and lead the team through a choppy set of games.
Rodman has averaged 7.3 points, 4.5 points and 0.9 assists while shooting 37.7% this season.
During the Trojans' 82-67 loss to the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday, the son of NBA legend, Dennis Rodman registered 16 points, seven rebounds and one block but briefly left the game with an apparent ankle injury.
Rodman went into the locker room for a few minutes, was attended to and came back out to rejoin the game.
DJ Rodman settling into life at USC
DJ Rodman is one of the older members of the USC Trojans team at 22 years old. He has already played four seasons of college basketball with the Washington State Cougars.
Regarding the expectations for his role on the team, he received high praise from CBS Sports analyst, Jon Rothstein before the season started.
“The Trojans haven’t had a classic ‘Glue Guy’ in recent years, but Rodman should fit the bill,” Rothstein wrote. “The son of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, DJ Rodman has the requisites to be a missing piece for USC at power forward. A transfer from Washington State, the 6-6 Rodman averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.”
During an interview with ESPN, Rodman was full of praise for Bronny James highlighting the leadership role that he has taken within the team.
“I think he’s a top defender on our team,” Rodman said. “He can make plays, and he’s for sure a point guard (with the way he plays). I love playing with him, and I love just being around him. I love him as a person and love him as a player.”
After USC's 91-75 loss to Auburn in December, DJ Rodman and the Trojans players held a players-only meeting in a bid to arrest the slide the team was going through.
“Just knowing our roles, just what we expect out of each other,” Rodman said to ESPN about the meeting. “It was nothing harsh, nothing mean. It was just realistic. That was one of the best conversations we had as a team, and I feel like that really opened our eyes.”
As one of the team's veterans and with the team bogged down with injuries, it might be up to DJ Rodman to step up to help the Trojans (8-10, 2-5 Pac-12) navigate a tricky period of their season.