As notable as he was for the legendary Chicago Bulls dynasty, Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman doesn’t get enough appreciation for being a star in his role. Being a star in one’s role doesn’t just entail doing one’s job extraordinarily well but also making certain sacrifices for the team’s benefit.
In Rodman’s case, he gave up the desire to be his team’s offensive focal point and instead focused on what they needed: his rebounding, defense, and hustle.
“I love defense and rebounding,” Rodman said via “Full Send Podcast.” “I love it because it makes me feel like I’m working hard for my money.”
Rodman perfected the art of rebounding
It’s been 25 years since he retired, and Rodman is still remembered as one of — if not — the greatest rebounders of all time. The Worm was so good at this aspect of the game that he won the rebounding champion award seven times in his 14-year career. In fact, the five-time champion has more games where he rebounded the ball 20 times (167) compared to when he scored 20 points in a game (19).
This didn’t happen by accident, as Rodman made it a point to perfect the art of rebounding. He once revealed his biggest secret: He always followed the ball with his eyes to see where it went after a shot was attempted, and he did that by constantly watching others shoot the ball.
“So I used to have my friends come to the gym at the Bulls’ practice facility,” Rodman once said. “I had my friends in different areas where my teammates would play, where they shoot the ball at, and I asked them to shoot the ball all the time and see where the ball is going to go.
“I would sit there and watch the trajectory of the shot, and I look at the ball and I see that it’s going to be short, it’s going to be long, it’s going to get the tip, and I put myself in that position to block out and sit there and say, ‘Okay, I got this, no matter what, because if I got one hand, I got another hand I can rebound with.'”
This is the kind of effort that makes one a winning player, and that’s what Dennis was throughout his career. He may not have been more than a two-time All-Star, but he’ll always be known as one of the most dominant centers in his era due to his superior interior presence and high basketball IQ.
Dennis was the key piece that helped Michael Jordan and the Bulls continue their unstoppable reign in the 1990s.
The importance of passion
Rodman’s perfecting the art of rebounding didn’t just happen because he knew that was the best way to make a name for himself and contribute to his team.
It was also because he had such a strong aspect for that part of the game that his head coach, Phil Jackson, once said that it sometimes became a distraction for him. Luckily for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, he had the right coach and teammates to call him out when it happened.
The passion Rodman built for excelling in his role circled back to how rewarding it felt to work for his money, which he delivered for most of his career. That’s why he’s considered one of the most successful and iconic players in NBA history.