Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Worm", the Hall of Famer is known for his defensive and rebounding abilities. Rodman played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Rodman emerged out of obscurity at the tiny Southeastern Oklahoma State, having not been recruited out of high school due to a very late growth spurt. The Pistons drafted him in the second round in 1986. In Detroit, he won two titles (1989-90), was named Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1990-91), and kicked off an NBA record seven straight seasons (1992-98) of leading the NBA in rebounds, but he demanded a trade in 1993 after going through a suicidal depression. After a stint with the Spurs that continued to be marred by off-court drama, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1995. Rodman arguably attained his greatest general fame in Chicago, joining Jordan and Pippen on their second three-peat title run. He lasted two more seasons with the Lakers and Mavs, spent several years in lesser leagues trying to get back into the NBA, and finally retired from playing in 2006. The Pistons retired his #10.
Rodman became notorious for his "bad boy" image and for his numerous controversial antics, which went from repeatedly dying his hair in artificial colors and having many piercings and tattoos, wearing a wedding dress to promote his autobiography, and regularly disrupting games by clashing with opposing players and officials. Rodman pursued a high-profile affair with Madonna and was briefly married to Carmen Electra. In later years, Rodman also attracted international attention for his visits to North Korea and his subsequent befriending of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In addition to being a former professional basketball player, Rodman is a former part-time professional wrestler and actor. As a pro wrestler, he was a member of the New World Order and fought alongside Hulk Hogan in the main event of two of WCW's Bash at the Beach pay-per-views, while as an actor, he had lead roles in the action films Double Team (1997) and Simon Sez (1999). As for how the latter career worked out, the former film earned Rodman a triple Razzie Award.
He's not the only member of his family to achieve sporting prominence. His daughter Trinity plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League, claiming the league's Rookie of the Year award in 2021 while the Spirit won the league title.
