While it’s nearly impossible to imagine the Chicago Bulls pulling off their second three-peat without Dennis Rodman, it was hard to imagine a player like him joining the team whose dynasty he once tried to delay. The idea of the two-time Defensive Player of the Year suiting up alongside players he had previously tossed to the ground, antagonized, and relentlessly clashed with seemed unimaginable.
Yet, according to Scottie Pippen, time healed all wounds. So, when the opportunity arose to add Rodman to the roster, the seven-time All-Star could see the bigger picture.
Scottie Pippen on Dennis Rodman joining the Bulls
Rodman was a cornerstone of the infamous ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons and played the same forward position as Scottie. Their battles during the Eastern Conference Finals were the stuff of legend – shoving one another into sideline photographers and constant physical warfare that often escalated into flagrant territory. But that rivalry was a thing of the past when the Bulls chased their second three-peat.
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In an interview, the six-time NBA champion admitted that given how the Bulls never faced the Pistons after the 1991 ECFs, that hatred eventually faded off against Rodman; moreover, given how the two-time All-Star had tarnished his reputation during his short spell with the San Antonio Spurs, Pippen could see that Dennis was in desperate need of a change and join a winning championship where he could add to their championship pedigree.
“He (Jerry Krause) asked me how comfortable I would be, playing with Dennis. At that time, you know, the creek had dried up. We hadn’t seen the Pistons since 1991, so you know time heals everything,” Pippen said during his appearance on Stacey King’s ‘Gimme The Hot Sauce’ podcast. “For Dennis, his career had taken a hit to the point… you know we could obviously use a rebounder Horace was gone. We needed a rebounder. So Dennis coming in, I embraced it. I thought it was a great move.”
Pippen and Rodman are an underappreciated duo
While fans rightly remember the duo of Michael Jordan and Pippen as perhaps the greatest Batman-and-Robin tandem in NBA history, the contributions of Rodman cannot be overstated. During the three seasons Rodman and Pip operated as the team’s two forwards in Chicago, the teams consistently ranked among the top four teams in rebounding and the top five in defensive rating – numbers that speak volumes about the gritty, foundational work that both Pippen and Rodman put in on the court.
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That being said, how these two former rivals set aside their past and unite for a common goal speaks to their maturity and highlights the shared championship psyche that made the Bulls so unstoppable. Clearly, it wasn’t just about talent; it was about sacrifice, focus, and doing whatever it took to win.