Dennis Rodman was one of, if not the most colorful, character in NBA history. With his eccentric antics that almost bordered on bizarre, there was never a dull moment when the Worm was around. However, beneath that wild facade was a man who found true happiness in the simple things in life, one of which was playing basketball.
The other was when his daughter, Alexis, came to watch him play on January 16, 1996, when the Chicago Bulls took on the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago. According to the tenacious forward, that moment was the happiest he’s been in his professional career.
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Only triple-double in his career
Rodman built a career out of grabbing rebounds and playing standout defense against the toughest scorers of his era. This allowed him to carve out a Hall of Fame career that saw him win five NBA titles, two Defensive Player of the Year trophies and two All-NBA citations. One can imagine that any of these awards would have made him the happiest man alive, but it was actually a different moment that brought him the most joy on the hardwood floor.
On that night in January, during a mostly meaningless game against the rudderless Sixers, Rodman’s daughter Alexis was in attendance.
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“My daughter came, so we played when I was 33, 34 years old. She saw my first game ever — she was like 9 or 10. I had a triple-double that day,” Rodman recalled.
The Worm played 34 minutes that night and cherished every second of it. With his daughter cheering his every move, he finished the game with 10 points, his usual 21 rebounds and 10 assists. That triple-double proved to be the only one in his long and distinguished career.
However, the numbers be damned, Rodman was happy to have shared that moment with his daughter.
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“That was a happy moment, because she saw that,” he said. “Shoot, only one of my kids has ever seen me play basketball. She’s the only one.”
Happy to be recognized by a kid
While Dennis was best known for his eccentricity, he reveals that his most cherished memories often came from life’s simplest moments. Another one Rodman shared was when he was walking down the street, and a few kids recognized who he was.
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“Happiest moment in my life, or at least one of the few,” he stated. “It happened when I was walking to the store. These three kids were running around with a camera phone. Running around, running around. Then they stop.”
“One kid says, ‘Hey, can I ask you a question?’ I said, ‘What is it?’ They say, ‘Is this you?’ I said, ‘Yeah,'” Rodman continued. “That made me feel good as hell right there. You feel good as hell for that day, because this kid went out of his way just to let me know, ‘Is this you?'”
Rodman disclosed that the kid didn’t ask for anything from him during that encounter, yet that moment resonated with him for a long time after.
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“So those little things — that’s what makes me happy. Those right there,” Dennis concluded.
Rodman is undeniably one of the NBA’s greatest. He was a defensive demon who never backed down from any challenge or man who stood in front of him. Whether it was Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley or Karl Malone, Dennis took them all on with a smile on his face. And such was his vibe and aura; he was happy to play ball, and compared to many attention-seeking pro athletes today, the Worm was glad to be recognized sometimes by young kids on the street.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.