Dennis Rodman was a handful for any team he played for due to his unpredictable behavior. However, Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson managed to utilize him efficiently, making the most out of his defense and rebounding talent.
With his talent, it was expected that a player of his caliber would get extensive playing time for as long as he stuck to the system. In the 1997 Finals, Dennis was used sparingly in some games by Jackson for not performing up to par. Come Game 4, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year complained to the Bulls coach who in turn responded strongly.
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“If you want to play, take your shots within the context of the offense,” Jackson said via the Washington Post.
In that game, Rodman was scoreless but grabbed six rebounds and had two assists in about 24 minutes of playing time. He took four shots and one three-point shot attempt, none of which went in. Based on that performance, it was clear Dennis was not focused.
The Bulls went on to lose Game 4 to the Utah Jazz, 78-73. This allowed the Western Conference champs to level the series at 2-2.
Rodman’s mysterious Las Vegas trips
Despite Jackson’s strong response, Rodman didn’t appear to care. After that loss, he flew to Las Vegas, where he spent the night.
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It wasn’t clear why “The Worm” chose to go to Sin City. However, he did have a billionaire friend there, Billy Corgan. Both allegedly stayed up all night, drinking and partying. Rodman was so wasted that he allegedly threw dice outside the craps table.
Dennis and Corgan flew back to Utah for a press conference the next morning. Despite lack of sleep, Dennis appeared in good shape that no one would suspect he was out drinking and partying the night before. Later on, the two-time All-Star claimed that the Las Vegas trips were therapeutic.
“I feel pretty good,” Rodman said. “I feel like a lot of weight’s off my shoulder. I went out there and just got free of a lot of stuff.”
Bulls hardly relied on Rodman to win 1997 title
Given his subpar showing, Jackson and the company knew they had to play on with Rodman, but they were not in sync. The task of doing so fell in the hands of Michael Jordan, who unfortunately had to play Game 5 with an illness.
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Sick or not, MJ delivered a crucial blow to the Jazz in the final seconds. He hit a three-point shot to give the Bulls a lead that proved to be the key play of the game.
A mental lapse on the part of Karl Malone helped the Bulls as well. ‘The Mailman’ chose not to foul Scottie Pippen as he only softly double-teamed him. Pip kicked it out to MJ who drilled the three. With play continuing, Chicago got another field goal courtesy of Luc Longley and won the game 78-73.
That win moved the Bulls a win away from their fifth title. Game 6 was another humdinger with Chicago escaping through a narrow margin, 90-86. Steve Kerr’s shot ended it all, handing the Windy City squad its 5th title in franchise history.
As for Rodman, his contributions were nearly irrelevant. He finished that series averaging 2.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. It was a troublesome year for the 27th overall pick of the 1986 Draft who got more attention for his off-court activities.
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Despite all that, the Bulls retained him for one more season. Rodman hardly did better, although he had his share of good games. One of them was against Malone in Game 4 of the 1998 Finals, effectively throwing the Jazz forward off his game.
That effort helped the Bulls take a 3-1 series lead, placing the Jazz on the brink. Chicago eventually finished off Utah in six games.
It was a dramatic end for the franchise, with Jordan, Rodman, and Jackson all leaving the team after that. Dennis joined teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks after that tenure. Unfortunately, those never worked out and the Southeastern Oklahoma State product faded from the NBA scene.