A life to the limit, squeezing excesses to the last consequences, that is a way of living that has distinguished Dennis Rodmanalso one of the best defensive players in NBA history.
to the native of Trenton, New Jersey (May 13, 1960) they even predicted that he would die as soon as he reached 40 years of age, today he turns 61 and… as in his time of greatest brilliance, life continues without worrying him: “I’m surprised that I’m still alive; a lot of people thought i’d be dead at 40, 45, 50, 55, i turned 60 and i was like, ‘wow, I’m still here’. Someone has a hand on my shoulder and says that I have a long way to go to fulfill something dedicated to people all over the world”, he declared for SVN 7News.
For now, Dennis has a big celebration planned for his 61st birthday at a club. Miami, Floridawhere this Friday a group of DJs will perform to celebrate.
Rodman’s first hurdles
Rodman’s path has been anything but easy. At the age of three he suffered the abandonment of his father, Philandera pilot who went to Filipinas to settle down, leaving the son in charge of his mother Shirleywho had to work various jobs to support Debra and Kim as well.
Interestingly, Debra and Kim had a lot to do with Dennis’s personality, since he himself has remembered that since he was a child they dressed him in women’s clothing, they put makeup on him and took him out for a walk around the neighborhood; he was a shy boy, habitually beaten at school, until in youth he became a physical prowess of 2.07 meters.
With his new physical abilities, he made the decision that changed his life: to take basketball seriously, standing out with the South Oklahoma Statestate in which he resided after being ‘adopted’ by a Rich Anglo-Saxon family.
The Worm and his final jump
His good school performances caught the attention of the Detroit Pistons, a team led by the legendary coach Chuck Dalywho saw in The Worm the ideal piece to complement your Bad Boysbeing elected in the Draft de 1986.
Surrounded by figures like Isaiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer o Joe DumarsRodman brought out his defensive virtues, protected by the rough play of the Pistons, who had to push the rules to the limit to fight against some Boston Celtics dominant with Larry Bird at the head, or the Chicago Bulls of a young man Michael Jordanwhose life was made impossible during the 1980s.
With Detroit he was able to become NBA champion on two consecutive occasions, widely surpassing Los Angeles Lakers y Portland Trail Blazersbut his history with the Pistons ended in 1993, when he was found asleep in his truck with a loaded rifle.
Some time later Dennis confessed that that night he only ‘killed the Dennis who tried to please everyone’; another factor, albeit a minor one, was that he listened to music by the grunge band ‘Pearl Jam’, which made him think. Rodman would forge a great friendship with the members of the group.
New Dennis Rodman, the star
Out of Detroit and now with San Antonio SpursDennis began to exhibit himself in his most bizarre version, first appearing with his hair dyed blonde, inspired by the actor’s look Wesley Snipes on the tape ‘Demolition Man’; From then on, she used her hair as an experiment with new dyes every night and, sometimes, as a platform to send messages, such as her support for HIV patients.
But he did not limit himself and remembering his childhood he began to wear daring outfits, makeup, women’s clothing and a heightened sexuality, which also made him confess his fantasies with men and his affairs with trans women.
Dennis Rodman y Madonna
She even dressed as a bride to advertise an autobiographical book, surprisingly declaring that ‘he had married himself’, awakening expectation among the attendees; a whole maelstrom of experiments, while the tabloids remembered the fight for the custody of a daughter born in 1987, as well as her fleeting romance with Madonnathe global pop star who, they say, he offered her millions of dollars to get her pregnantsomething to which Dennis did not agree.
The headlines did not intimidate him and he even ventured into the film industry, the film being ‘Double Team’ his most remembered performance as a squire of Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The Chicago Bulls, their consecration
While more was being said about his life off the pitch, in ChicagoCoach Phil Jackson had found the man who would help Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to regain dominance in the NBA.
Signed in 1995, Dennis, The Menacefit into the system of Bulls to do the dirty work, becoming the best rebounder of all time to return the ball to Jordan or Pippen, who would do the rest, although on the streets his reputation did not improve, as several arrests for driving while intoxicated are remembered , as well as the constant complaints from his neighbors about the excessive noise coming from his house.
But Jordan’s exaggerated work ethic was not enough to keep a Rodman on track who enjoyed the spotlight, with the spectacular Carmen Electra like his fleeting wife (who would later reveal his marathon sex days at the Bulls facility), in addition to his impulsive decisions, like the time he took a flight in the middle of the NBA Finals to appear with Hulk Hogan as a faction member nWo de WCWthe wrestling company that shook the WWE in the nineties.
Despite everything, it was a key factor in achieving the second triplet of the Chicago Bulls, although after the departure of Jordan and Pippen, his performance was less and he finished his walk in the NBA with little memorable steps in the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
Denis Rodman, with Regal Force
Outside the NBA, he began a pilgrimage through semi-professional teams, although he also appeared in a couple of games in Mexico with Royal Force, but he still did not escape his scandals, such as the accusations of domestic violence by his ex-wife, Michelle Moyerwith whom he had two children.
With them he never had contact again, as with his first daughter, something that did not prevent them from developing as athletes.
Now #TheLastDance pays tribute to Dennis Rodman.
‘The Worm’ passed through Nuevo León in 2004, playing 2 games for Fuerza Regia.
Santos de San Luis and Correcaminos were his rivals in Mexico. pic.twitter.com/dMLqL3X6dd
— Rafael Rivera (@RafaDato2) April 27, 2020
In 2011 was immortalized as a member of the Hall of Fame and from there he was again at the center of the controversy, after revealing his friendship with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-unbecoming the first American to meet with the controversial character as part of a campaign to improve the perception of North Korea in the rest of the world.
That is Dennis Rodman, a myth, a multicolored legend that adorned the NBA and the forums where he always left an image to remember.
