Dennis Rodman facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Dennis Rodman
Personal information
Rodman in 2017
Born	(1961-05-13) May 13, 1961 (age 64) Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
High school	South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
College	North Central Texas (1983) Southeastern Oklahoma State (1983–1986)
NBA Draft	1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 27th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career	1986–2006
Career history
1986–1993	Detroit Pistons
1993–1995	San Antonio Spurs
1995–1998	Chicago Bulls
1999	Los Angeles Lakers
2000	Dallas Mavericks
2003–2004	Long Beach Jam
2004	Fuerza Regia
2004–2005	Orange County Crush
2005	Torpan Pojat
2005–2006	Tijuana Dragons
2006	Brighton Bears

Career highlights and awards
5× NBA champion (1989, 1990, 1996–1998) 2× NBA All-Star (1990, 1992) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1992, 1995) 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991) 7× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1989–1993, 1995, 1996) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1994) 7× NBA rebounding champion (1992–1998) NBA 75th Anniversary Team No. 10 retired by Detroit Pistons 3× NAIA All-American (1984–1986)

Career NBA statistics
Points	6,683 (7.3 ppg)
Rebounds	11,954 (13.1 rpg)
Assists	1,600 (1.8 apg)

Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He was known for his amazing defense and ability to grab rebounds. Many people say he is one of the best rebounding players in NBA history.

Rodman was nicknamed "the Worm" because of how he wiggled around. He played for several teams, including the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. He started as a small forward and later became a power forward.

He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times. Rodman also led the NBA in rebounds for a record seven years in a row. He won five NBA championships during his career. In 2011, the Pistons retired his No. 10 jersey, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, honoring the league's greatest players.

Rodman had a unique style. He often dyed his hair bright colors, had many piercings and tattoos. He also got attention for his visits to North Korea and becoming friends with its leader, Kim Jong Un. Besides basketball, Rodman also appeared in professional wrestling and acted in movies and TV shows.

Early Life and Nickname

Dennis Rodman was born in Trenton, New Jersey. His father, Philander Rodman, Jr., was in the United States Air Force. When Dennis was young, his father left the family. Dennis later said he didn't really know his father.

Dennis grew up in Dallas, Texas, with his mother, Shirley, and two sisters, Debra and Kim. His mother gave him the nickname "The Worm." She called him this because he would wiggle a lot while playing pinball. Dennis's sisters were also good basketball players.

High School Years

In high school, Dennis was not a star athlete. He was quite short, only 5 feet 6 inches tall, and struggled with basketball. He even tried out for football but didn't make the team. After high school, he worked as a janitor at an airport.

College Basketball Career

After high school, Dennis had a sudden growth spurt, growing from 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 7 inches. This made him decide to try basketball again.

He first played at Cooke County College (now North Central Texas College). He played well but left due to poor grades. Then, he transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State University. There, he became a top player, leading the league in rebounds twice. In one game, he scored 46 points and grabbed 32 rebounds! His strong play caught the attention of NBA teams.

Professional Basketball Journey

Detroit Pistons: The "Bad Boys" Era (1986–1993)

Dennis Rodman was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1986. He joined a tough team known as the "Bad Boys" because of their aggressive style. He quickly became a key player, known for his defense and rebounding.

Winning Championships

In the 1988–89 season, Rodman helped the Pistons win their first NBA championship. He was great at defense and rebounding, even though he was a bench player. The Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4–0 in the 1989 NBA Finals.

The next season, 1989–90, Rodman became an even bigger star. He won his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Pistons won their second straight championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1990 NBA Finals.

Rebounding King

In the 1991–92 season, Rodman became the league's top rebounder, averaging an amazing 18.7 rebounds per game. This was the first of seven straight years he would lead the NBA in rebounding. He even grabbed a career-high 34 rebounds in one game!

His time with the Pistons ended after the 1992–93 season. His coach, Chuck Daly, whom he looked up to, left the team.

San Antonio Spurs: New Look, Same Rebounding (1993–1995)

In 1993, Rodman joined the San Antonio Spurs. He started to show his unique personality more, dyeing his hair in many different colors. He continued to be the best rebounder in the league.

He played as a power forward for the Spurs and won his third and fourth straight rebounding titles. Despite his great play, the Spurs struggled in the playoffs. Rodman also had some disagreements with the team and coaches during this time.

Chicago Bulls: The Dynasty Years (1995–1998)

The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls. Rodman made history in the 1996 NBA Finals when he twice secured 11 offensive rebounds in this building, tying an all-time NBA record.

Before the 1995–96 season, Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls. This team had superstars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Rodman chose jersey number 91 because his usual number 10 was retired by the Bulls.

Three-Peat Championships

Rodman fit perfectly with the Bulls. He helped them win an NBA record 72 games in the 1995–96 season. He won another rebounding title and was named to the All-NBA Defense First Team. The Bulls went on to win the 1996 NBA Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics. Rodman had two incredible games with 11 offensive rebounds each, tying an NBA Finals record.

In the 1996–97 season, Rodman won his sixth straight rebounding title. The Bulls won another championship, beating the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals.

The 1997–98 season saw Rodman win his seventh consecutive rebounding title. The Bulls faced the Jazz again in the 1998 NBA Finals. Rodman played strong defense and helped the Bulls win their third championship in a row, giving him his fifth NBA ring. After this season, the Bulls team changed a lot, and Rodman left the team.

Later NBA and Other Teams (1999–2006)

Rodman briefly played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999 and the Dallas Mavericks in 2000. He continued to be a strong rebounder.

After his NBA career, Rodman played for other teams, including the Long Beach Jam in the ABA, where he helped them win a championship. He also played in Mexico, Finland, and the UK. In 2006, he played exhibition games in the Philippines.

On April 4, 2011, Dennis Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

NBA Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1986–87	Detroit	77	1	15.0	.545	.000	.587	4.3	.7	.5	.6	6.5
1987–88	Detroit	82	32	26.2	.561	.294	.535	8.7	1.3	.9	.5	11.6
1988–89†	Detroit	82*	8	26.9	.595*	.231	.626	9.4	1.2	.7	.9	9.0
1989–90†	Detroit	82*	43	29.0	.581	.111	.654	9.7	.9	.6	.7	8.8
1990–91	Detroit	82*	77	33.5	.493	.200	.631	12.5	1.0	.8	.7	8.2
1991–92	Detroit	82	80	40.3	.539	.317	.600	18.7*	2.3	.8	.9	9.8
1992–93	Detroit	62	55	38.9	.427	.205	.534	18.3*	1.6	.8	.7	7.5
1993–94	San Antonio	79	51	37.8	.534	.208	.520	17.3*	2.3	.7	.4	4.7
1994–95	San Antonio	49	26	32.0	.571	.000	.676	16.8*	2.0	.6	.5	7.1
1995–96†	Chicago	64	57	32.6	.480	.111	.528	14.9*	2.5	.6	.4	5.5
1996–97†	Chicago	55	54	35.4	.448	.263	.568	16.1*	3.1	.6	.3	5.7
1997–98†	Chicago	80	66	35.7	.431	.174	.550	15.0*	2.9	.6	.2	4.7
1998–99	L.A. Lakers	23	11	28.6	.348	.000	.436	11.2	1.3	.4	.5	2.1
1999–00	Dallas	12	12	32.4	.387	.000	.714	14.3	1.2	.2	.1	2.8
Career		911	573	31.7	.521	.231	.584	13.1	1.8	.7	.6	7.3
All-Star		2	0	18.0	.364	—	—	8.5	.5	.5	.5	4.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1987	Detroit	15	0	16.3	.541	—	.563	4.7	.2	.4	1.1	6.5
1988	Detroit	23	0	20.6	.522	.000	.407	5.9	.9	.6	.6	7.1
1989†	Detroit	17	0	24.1	.529	.000	.686	10.0	.9	.4	.7	5.8
1990†	Detroit	19	17	29.5	.568	—	.514	8.5	.9	.5	.7	6.6
1991	Detroit	15	14	33.0	.451	.222	.417	11.8	.9	.7	.7	6.3
1992	Detroit	5	5	31.2	.593	.000	.500	10.2	1.8	.8	.4	7.2
1994	San Antonio	3	3	38.0	.500	.000	.167	16.0	.7	2.0	1.3	8.3
1995	San Antonio	14	12	32.8	.542	.000	.571	14.8	1.3	.9	.0	8.9
1996†	Chicago	18	15	34.4	.485	—	.593	13.7	2.1	.8	.4	7.5
1997†	Chicago	19	14	28.2	.370	.250	.577	8.4	1.4	.5	.2	4.2
1998†	Chicago	21	9	34.4	.371	.250	.605	11.8	2.0	.7	.6	4.9
Career		169	89	28.3	.490	.149	.540	9.9	1.2	.6	.6	6.4

Rodman's Basketball Legacy

Dennis Rodman was known for his incredible defense and rebounding skills. He could guard almost any player on the court, from tall centers to quick guards. He won two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. From 1991 onwards, he was one of the best rebounders ever, often getting 15 or more rebounds per game.

While he wasn't a high scorer, his rebounding and defense were super important. In 14 NBA seasons, he played 911 games, scored 6,683 points, and grabbed 11,954 rebounds. This means he averaged about 7.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

Rodman's unique style, with his colorful hair and tattoos, made him stand out. He was a very successful player, winning five NBA championships and leading the league in rebounding seven times.

Professional Wrestling Career

Dennis Rodman
Birth name	Dennis Keith Rodman
Born	(1961-05-13) May 13, 1961 (age 64) Trenton, New Jersey
Spouse(s)	Annie Bakes (divorced) Carmen Electra (m. 1998; div. 1999) Michelle Moyer (m. 2003; div. 2012)
Children	3
Family	Shirley Rodman (mother) Philander Rodman Jr. (father)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Impostor Sting Dennis Rodman
Billed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Billed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Billed from	Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California
Debut	March 10, 1997
Retired	2000 (first retirement) 2008 (second retirement)

Dennis Rodman also had a career in professional wrestling. He joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997, becoming part of the nWo group with Hulk Hogan.

Big Wrestling Matches

His first wrestling match was in July 1997, where he teamed with Hulk Hogan. In 1998, after the NBA Finals, Rodman had a famous wrestling match against NBA rival Karl Malone. Rodman and Hogan won that match.

Rodman continued to wrestle until 2000. He later returned to win a TV show called Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling in 2008. In 2023, he made another appearance in All Elite Wrestling.

Championships and Accomplishments

Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
- Celebrity Championship Wrestling Tournament Champion

Media Appearances and Other Ventures

Rodman with Donald Trump for Celebrity Apprentice

Dennis Rodman has appeared in many TV shows and movies. In 1996, he had his own MTV show called The Rodman World Tour. He also appeared on the cover of a Pearl Jam album.

He starred in action films like Double Team (1997) with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Simon Sez (1999). He also voiced himself in an episode of The Simpsons.

Rodman has been on several reality TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Mole, which he won. He also appeared on Celebrity Apprentice twice.

In 2013, Rodman visited Vatican City during the selection of a new pope. He also launched his own vodka brand. His visits to North Korea were shown in a 2015 documentary film.

Personal Life and Family

Dennis Rodman has three children. He has a daughter from his first marriage. He also has a son, Dennis Jr. (born 2001), and a daughter, Trinity (born 2002), with Michelle Moyer. Both DJ and Trinity have also become basketball players.

Works

Films

Eddie (1996) as Himself (cameo)
Double Team (1997) as Yaz
Simon Sez (1999) as Simon
The Comebacks (2007) as Warden (cameo)
Rodman: For Better or Worse (2019) as Himself

Images for kids

In 2005, Rodman played for Torpan Pojat of Finland's basketball league, the Korisliiga.