Saturday's Sporting Icon - Dennis Rodman

 Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon! 

Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons.

Saturday 23rd January - Dennis Rodman 

When people think Chicago Bulls, they think of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. I mean who wouldn't? They dominated both sides of the ball and grabbed all the front-page headlines that every paper in America had to offer (the good one's at least). They truly were the titans of 1990's NBA basketball. However, for every angel, there is a devil, and for the Chicago Bulls, that devil came in the form of Dennis Rodman, who to this day remains the most underrated and controversial basketball player of all time. 

As a shy kid from Dallas, no one would have ever imagined that Dennis Rodman would ignite the NBA hardcourt with his smash-mouth game style and utterly unique personality. Homeless from age 18-20, Rodman built his basketball passion by practising with a local college side before being accepted on a scholarship to Southeastern Oklahoma State University where he played every game like it was his last, averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds a game. This was enough for him to be recognised by the Detroit Pistons, who chose Rodman with the 27th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. This is where the legend of Dennis Rodman planted his first foundations. 

As a part of Chuck Daley's 'Bad Boy Pistons', Rodman found his ultimate calling in the NBA: rebounding and defence. Treating these two fundamental skills as an art, Rodman soon became the NBA's most elite defensive presence, and would often dedicate whole nights studying the trajectory of the ball when it bounced off the rim to place himself in the perfect position for a rebound. He would watch hours upon hours of game tape and often insist that he defended each team's best player. This insane level of dedication led Rodman to 2 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards and 7 consecutive NBA Rebounding Championships in which he averaged anywhere between 14.9 to 18.7 rebounds a game. In one very peculiar stretch during the 1993 NBA season, Rodman set one of the most uncomparable stat lines in NBA history when he averaged over 24 rebounds over a 3 game period, without scoring a single point. Oh, and by the way, Rodman accomplished these feats at 6'7", two inches shorter than the league's average centre. But Rodman did not just obtain individual accolades, he was a major part of team successes as well. He won back to back championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, taking down Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the process. He later joined the Bulls in 1995 and was a major contributing factor to the Bulls second three-peat of championships from 1995 through to 1998. 

Unfortunately, despite all his success, his actions off the court are how this NBA legend is remembered. During his 14 year NBA career, his fondness for cross-dressing and partying in Las Vegas often landed himself on the bad side of both his coaches and newspaper articles who labelled him as "an uncontrollable freak". Instead of contesting this name, Rodman accepted it and made it part of his basketball identity, producing stories that newspaper headlines could only dream of, from headbutting team mascots to skipping practise to participate in a WWE wrestling event. 

For me, this isn't how Dennis Rodman should be remembered. Yes, I admit, reading some of the stories are sure to raise some eyebrows but for every negative you can find about Rodman, you are almost certain to find a better positive. For example, in his early NBA career, he would walk the streets of Detroit and hand the homeless $100 bills. Whilst playing for the Bulls, he accepted the role he was given on the team and was a great teammate and friend to those around him. This is the Dennis Rodman that should be remembered, and even though his cavalier attitude and personality are still grabbing headlines to this day, he is still without question, the most underappreciated superstar in NBA history.