NBA players making comebacks years after they retired rarely go as planned, but the nostalgic feeling of the game often lures individuals to give it a go. One of them was Dennis Rodman in 2004, who, at 43 years old, decided to give it another try after four years out of the league.
However, while Rodman was confident in his abilities and convinced he could help a team at this age, the NBA didn’t really share the same opinion. From Dennis’ point of view, this was mind-blowing, as he could only think of one reason.
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“They think I’m uncoachable and I don’t know why,” Rodman said via ESPN Archives. “I’m just a free and independent person. I’m ready to come back. I’m in good shape and I know I can do well.”
One last hoorah?
Rodman wouldn’t get completely ignored, as the Denver Nuggets and their GM Kiki Vandeweghe gave him a chance at an informal workout with the team. However, it didn’t lead to much, as Denver passed on him, and Dennis was forced to sign a two-game contract with Monterrey’s Fuerza Regia in Mexico to get some reps in.
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While he was an attraction that filled the arena for those two games, Rodman wouldn’t really shine or show a smidge of his past abilities that would lure an NBA team into signing him. Even though it would have been a great marketing or PR move, it would make zero sense basketball-wise.
The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls versions of Rodman were true examples of a winner. The energy was enough to make up for the poor skill set, but at that age, no kind of spirit could have replaced the sheer inability to play any type of role on offense, especially at that age, with years of no basketball mixed with not the healthiest lifestyle.
To add insult to injury, Rodman’s last stints in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks were pretty turbulent, as no team really wanted that kind of distraction in their locker room. This wasn’t the five-time champion, two-time DPOY or eight-time rebounding champ we saw in the 80s/90s. It was a flamboyant and charismatic version of an outdated basketball player who was once a great winner.
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Rodman was happy with his Nuggets workout
Interestingly, when asked about his famed workout with Denver, Dennis couldn’t help but be ecstatic with his performance and praise his ability to keep up despite the age.
“Talk to other players and they’ll say that wasn’t a 43-year-old guy that was running today,” claimed Dennis. “That wasn’t a 43-year-old guy. That was a freak out there.”
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The Worm was at least honest in admitting he was a bit rusty when it came to work with the ball, but he could still do all the little things he did during his best days. And with time, Rodman felt he could get even better.
“Anybody 25 or 30 who hasn’t played ball for three or four months, their timing is going to be a little off,” he stated. “But I think my speed and my quickness was there. As far as passing and just setting screens, that just clicked in.”
Maybe that was a bit of wishful thinking from Dennis. While it would have been very interesting to get some more taste of Rodman in the NBA, it was a “Hail Mary” attempt from him that simply didn’t go according to plan.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.