Dennis Rodman has always unapologetically been himself and I respect that 120%. With his bright hair colors, multiple piercings, and tattoos he is hard to miss. Over the years the media coverage on him has been huge. Although he has gotten himself into trouble multiple times and has been the butt of many jokes, Denny has taught us all one thing. Never change who you are to make other people happy, period. You are you for a reason, don’t let anybody dull your shine.
Dennis Keith Rodman was born on May 31, 1961in Trenton, New Jersey. When Dennis was just a child his father Phillander Rodman Jr, A US Airman, up and left the family. My man just rolled out. His father eventually remarried and settled in the Philippines. Rodman has claimed that he is oldest of at least 47 children. His Mom, Shirley, relocated the family to the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Texas, where he attended South Oak Cliff High School where he played on the school basketball team.
After finishing high school Rodman worked at a Dallas airport as an overnight janitor. During this time, he would have growth spurt taking him from 5’11 to an impressive 6’7 and decided to give basketball another try. Dennis would end up attending North Central Texas College where he would play for the basketball team. While playing on this team he earned Most Valuable player and caught the eye of NBA team the Detroit Pistons.
Rodman made himself eligible and entered the 1986 NBA draft. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the third pick of the second round. After falling to their rivals, the Boston Celtics Rodman made headlines after directly criticizing NBA great Larry Bird and stating that he was “overrated just because he is white”. In the following season Rodman continued to improve his playing stats. Earning him a spot on the All-Star team, this would be the first of eight times he would play in the All-Star game. In 1988 Rodman’s first daughter with girlfriend Annie Bakes whom they name Alexis. Dennis Rodman stayed a benched player throughout the 1989 season. Other than that, the remainder of his career with Detroit was a pretty decent one.
Dennis Rodman joined the San Antonio Spurs during the 1993 NBA season. He played power forward (I think my hubby was a power forward when he played basketball but I really can’t remember…. some wife I am….) and won his third straight rebounding title. I guess by this time he had broken up with his girlfriend Annie because Rodman had a highly publicized two-month affair with Madonna. During 1994 Dennis Rodman clashed with the Spurs front office, earning him a three-game suspension. This dude sounds like a real treat to work with. That season Rodman took a leave of absence on November 11th and was suspended a second time on December 7th. That year Rodman suffered a shoulder separation injury during a motorcycle accident causing him to miss even more game time. Needless to say, his time with the Spurs was short lived. In 1995 Dennis Rodman found himself on the Chicago Bulls roster where he played alongside NBA great, Michael Jordan. He had a great career with Chicago was a good one. I’m just trying to get to the good stuff. I know that is what you guys come here for anyway.
In August 199, Dennis Rodman was arrested for public drunkenness after having an altercation at a night club in Newport Beach, California. This earned him a one-night stint in jail. However, those charges against him were eventually dropped. On November 5, 1999 Rodman and his ex-wife Carmen Electra (remember when they were married, you blink and the marriage is over) were charged with misdemeanor battery after police were called to their home for a domestic disturbance. In December that same year Dennis Rodman was arrested for drunk driving without a valid license. So, if his license was valid it would have been okay!? In July 2000 he pleaded guilty and was order to pay a $2,000 fine, Rodman also have to take part in a three- month alcohol treatment program.
In 2002 he was arrested yet again. This time for interfering with a police investigation as they were looking into a code violation at a restaurant Rodman owned, those charge were eventually dropped. It is reported that police were called to him home in Newport Beach, California due wild and loud parties. I guess his parties were TURNT. In 2003 Rodman was arrested and charged with domestic violence after an altercation with his then-fiancée. Carmen and Dennis had long parted ways by this time. I think she was married to Dave Navarro….is that his name? In 2004 Rodman pleaded no contest to drunk driving charges will in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was given a $1,000 fine and was sentenced to thirty days house arrest.
On April 30, 2008 Rodman was arrested on domestic violence charges after an incident at a Los Angeles hotel. On June 24, 2008 he pleaded no contest to above mentioned charges. He received three years of probation and had to attend a mandatory one-year domestic violence counseling program. He also had to do 45 hours of community service which were to involve some physical labor activities. Sounds like the system is starting to get really tired of your shit, Denny.
In Rodman’s defense he managed to stay pretty quiet for the next eight years. Until November 21, 2016 when he was charged with causing a hit and run accident, lying to authorities, and driving without a license in Santa Ana, California. In February 2017 Dennis Rodman pleaded guilty to all charges. Wow, he didn’t please no contest, I’m shocked! He was sentenced to three years of probation, thirty hours of community service, and was ordered to pay the families’ restitution. Is it just me or would an average person have done jail time by now? How does he keep getting this community service bullshit!? In January 2018 Rodman was once again arrested for driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to the charge and received….you guessed it, three years’ probation!
In May 2019 Newport Beach yoga studio owner, Ali Shah, accused Rodman of stealing $3,500 worth of merchandise from the studio’s reception area. Namaste Dennis, Namaste! Isn’t yoga supposed to help you find your inner peace or some shit like that? Rodman disputed the claim stating that Shah told him; “Dennis, get anything you want”. As of right now, no charges have ever been filed in relation to this incident. On October 18, 2019, Rodman was charged with misdemeanor battery after slapping a man at the Buddha Sky Bar in Delray Beach, Florida. That about wraps up his legal troubles. I’m not even going to get into his friendship with Kim Jung-Un and the whole North Korea thing. I feel like that is a whole blog in itself.
Well, that is the tale of the Dennis Rodman, the basketball wild child who just didn’t know how to stay out of trouble. I will leave you with some words of wisdom from the man himself; I just took the chance to be my own man … I just said: “If you don’t like it, kiss my ass.” … Most people around the country, or around the world, are basically working people who want to be free, who want to be themselves. They look at me and see someone trying to do that … I’m the guy who’s showing people, hey, it’s all right to be different. And I think they feel: “Let’s go and see this guy entertain us.”
Always be yourself……but try and stay out of trouble.
Sources:
The Complicated Evolution of Dennis Rodman – ESPN
Dennis Rodman – NBA.com
The Dark Side Of Life 
I used to watch this dude play. I used to like him and like the way he played, but I started disliking him when he talked BS about Larry Bird. Larry bird is one of the greatest basketball players ever in my opinion and this dumb ass had no business speaking BS about Larry. I remember this guys was in trouble 24-7 in the 90’s.
Another great article. Keep them coming.
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