Dennis Rodman has long made it clear he has no regrets about one of the most infamous moments in NBA playoff history, and his stance has not softened over time.
This is a throwback to a 2018 interview, where Rodman revisited the Detroit Pistons’ decision to walk off without shaking hands with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1991 playoffs.
The moment has been debated for decades, especially after being spotlighted again in later documentaries.
But for Rodman, the discussion has always been straightforward. He never saw it as something that needed revisiting or apologising for.
Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Dennis Rodman explained the Pistons’ frustration vs the 1991 Bulls series
Speaking in an interview reported by The Athletic, Rodman reflected on why the Pistons struggled so much against Chicago in that series.
The context centred on how quickly the Bulls had evolved into a team Detroit could no longer control.
He said, “Well, not really. We didn’t know how to handle Chicago in 1991. Because it was so fast. Scottie got his game on. Horace [Grant] had his game on.
“And Michael always had his game on. But we didn’t know how to handle the scheme they were doing in 1991.”
The admission highlights how the balance of power had shifted, with the Bulls moving beyond the physical style that had previously defined the rivalry.
Dennis Rodman had no regrets over Pistons handshake snub vs. the Bulls
Rodman also addressed the controversial decision itself, making it clear that frustration played a central role in what happened.
He said, “So basically, we were so frustrated the first two or three games, what’d we have left but to beat them up? And when that didn’t work, we did the old okie doke.
“We didn’t want to shake your hands. Screw you.”
The comment underlines his perspective that the moment was a product of competition and emotion rather than something he views as a mistake.
Even years later, and despite renewed attention on the incident, Rodman’s stance has remained unchanged.
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