Dennis Rodman may have been known as a defensive player, but that didn’t mean he had no offensive game. “The Worm” contributed offensively when the opportunity came, primarily close to the basket.
What the Detroit Pistons forward was not known for was taking jump shots. One forgettable highlight in the 6-foot-8 forward’s career was taking a questionable jumper in the dying seconds of Game 7 of the 1988 Finals. It was a costly attempt, and it eventually handed the championship to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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“No sooner than I let it go, I said, ‘What the heck did I take a jump shot for?'” Rodman said via the NYT. “I’m not a jump shooter. I just wanted to sit on the floor. I made a mistake; a lot of players make mistakes like that. I can be faulted.”
Rodman’s mental lapse cost the Pistons the title
It was a mental lapse on the part of the Southeastern Oklahoma State product, considering the Pistons were rallying at that stage. Dennis could have driven in for a higher percentage shot, but inexplicably settled for a jump shot that missed its mark.
The miscue was costly as Detroit let that opportunity slip. Chuck Daly was understandably upset but proud of the effort his boys gave.
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“They blitzed us, and we got down to a point where we had to respond,” Daly said. “We did it; we came within a hair of winning it.”
Pistons lost but gained from the ’88 Finals loss
Although they came short of winning their first championship in 1988, the Pistons achieved something else. They proved they were the new kids on the block and gave fair warning to other NBA teams that year.
Looking at how the series went, the Pistons could have won it all if they didn’t allow the series to reach a Game 7. Detroit had a 3-2 lead and could have finished it in Game 6. The Lakers were in a bind and knew the pressure was on them. Thanks to the efforts of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Byron Scott, L.A. managed to extend the series by a hair, winning 103-102.
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Going into Game 7, the Lakers knew they would be in for a battle. James Worthy admitted that the Pistons’ physical game was new to them, so they had to be careful if they were to win the 1988 title.
“Detroit was a different animal. City boys, you know, led by Isiah (Thomas), a Chicago tough bad dude. They had Rick Mahorn, Laimbeer, Spider (John Salley), they had Dennis Rodman. They were physical, and they were tough, and so we hadn’t seen that,” Worthy quipped.
Luckily, the breaks went the Lakers’ way, allowing them to win it all. However, that loss only made the Pistons stronger, a learning experience, per se.
Both teams would meet again in the 1989 Finals in what most expected to be a competitive series. Instead, fans saw a dominant performance by the “Motor City” squad, which swept the Purple & Gold and handed the franchise its first NBA title.
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It was the dawn of the “Bad Boys” era, ending years of dominance by the Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Detroit would remain champions until 1990, reaping success through defense and their highly physical play.