Dennis Rodman claims The Admiral was a major choker: "San Antonio might be more of a basketball team if David didn’t freeze up every time they play a big game"

Dennis Rodman claims The Admiral was a major choker: “San Antonio might be more of a basketball team if David didn’t freeze up every time they play a big game” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Dennis Rodman’s two-year season stint with the San Antonio Spurs was a dark chapter in his career. While he snagged two rebounding titles and guided the team to the playoffs, he did not see eye-to-eye with his teammates, the coaching staff, and the front office. He didn’t like how Gregg Popovich tried to tame him. Rodman did everything in his power to help the team win and wanted to be free to do whatever he pleased off the court.

Zero clutch genes

Moreover, he didn’t like star center David Robinson’s inability to perform in the clutch. Rodman believed the Spurs would’ve been a better basketball team if The Admiral hadn’t succumbed to pressure.

“(San Antonio) might be more of a basketball team if David Robinson didn’t freeze up every time they play a big game,” Rodman said in his autobiography “Bad As I Wanna Be.”

Jack Haley, one of Rodman’s closest confidants, claimed The Worm also hated Robinson’s seemingly lackadaisical approach to practice. Dennis was a workhorse and loved to push his body to the limit during practices. The Admiral had a different philosophy, and this resulted in tension between the two.

“Dennis had a real problem in his respect for David Robinson as a player,” Haley said.

“He had problems with David’s intensity and work ethic in practice. One thing about Dave: Dave could be the most talented player and athlete in the NBA. … Therefore, he’s not a big practice guy. Not a big work ethic guy. By [January], Dave would have sat out 30 practices. It’s tendinitis. It’s, ‘I’m sore today.'”

To be fair to Robinson, he tried to work on his relationship with Rodman. He understood that the team needed to click on all cylinders to succeed. Haley claimed The Admiral reached out to Rodman plenty of times, but the Worm wasn’t interested.

“Dave tried everything … To get through with Dennis Rodman to form a friendship… Dave would ask me, ‘Why don’t the three of us go to lunch? Why don’t we sit down and try to talk?’ He would try to talk to Dennis about basketball to form a bond. Dennis wouldn’t respond,” Haley said.

Bye Dennis

After two seasons, the Spurs wanted no part of Rodman. They traded him to the Chicago Bulls for Will Perdue in a straight swap. The Spurs didn’t care that they were giving up an NBA Championship and Defensive Player of the Year for a backup big.

“Now I guess David thinks it’s a basketball team again because he’s got Will Perdue,” Rodman quipped.

Fortunately, things worked out for both parties. The Bulls fully embraced Rodman’s crazy and rowdy behavior. Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the others understood Dennis was a unique individual who deserved special treatment. Their patience paid off in sums as they completed another three-peat before walking off into the sunset.

Meanwhile, the Spurs remained a solid team in the West. Popovich eventually stepped into the head coaching position midway through the 1996-97 season. Later that summer, they were gifted the number one overall pick and selected Wake Forest standout Tim Duncan. With his help, Robinson snagged his first NBA Championship, and later on, the Spurs became a true NBA powerhouse with Duncan as their leader on the court.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Dennis Rodman claims The Admiral was a major choker: “San Antonio might be more of a basketball team if David didn’t freeze up every time they play a big game”

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