{"id":218655,"date":"2025-08-08T00:10:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T00:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/218655\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T00:10:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T00:10:11","slug":"throwback-thursday-dennis-rodman-and-the-dallas-mavericks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/218655\/","title":{"rendered":"Throwback Thursday \u2013 Dennis Rodman and the Dallas Mavericks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just over one month into the tenure of new majority owner Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks<\/a> were preparing to welcome yet another new face into the fold. Cuban wasted hardly any time before attempting to make a splash with his new franchise. Just weeks after purchasing the team, Cuban engaged in talks<\/a> to bring Dennis Rodman<\/a> to Texas.<\/p>\n

At the time of Cuban\u2019s purchase, the Mavericks were on the tail end of a decade of futility<\/a>. From the 1990-1991 season through the 1999-2000 season, the team did not qualify for the Playoffs a single time. Averaging 24 wins per season over that span, Cuban knew he had some work to do if he hoped to get fans interested in the team. Amongst other innovative ideas<\/a>, Cuban knew there was no better player than Dennis Rodman when it came to garnering attention, even if he hadn\u2019t played in the NBA for nearly a year at that point.<\/p>\n

The Mavericks, perhaps energized after the ownership change, were getting hot leading up to the acquisition of Rodman. On January 17 they held a 12-25 record before winning 8 of their next 10 to improve to 20-27. Buzz was starting to build that the Mavericks could make a Playoff push, so the addition of Rodman was more than just a headline grabber. He was also being brought in for his championship experience and know-how when it came to winning. Of course, half the battle would be getting Rodman in a uniform in the first place.<\/p>\n

The Worm had not played in the NBA since the season prior when he logged 23 games with the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>. Content to live the retirement high life, Rodman needed a bit of time before suiting up. He had trips and appearances planned relative to the NFL Pro Bowl<\/a> and Super Bowl<\/a>, and then had to shake off the rust any normal 38-year-old body would expect to see after almost a year off.<\/p>\n

The good news for the Mavericks was that Rodman is more human than human, so he only needed about a week of prep time to get into game shape. He also needed a place near Reunion Area<\/a>, former home to the Mavericks, to live. This was an adventure in its own right. Cuban decided his 4,000 square foot guest house was the appropriate solution. As a result of the living arrangement, Rodman once drew the all too familiar attention of NBA higher-ups before even putting a jersey on. The league did not allow for a player to effectively live cost free on an owner\u2019s property, so Rodman had to pay Cuban $3,000 in rent to make it all work. The league also didn\u2019t allow certain jersey numbers, so once again before even suiting up for a single game, Rodman drew the attention of the NBA brass who vetoed<\/a> his choice of number 69. I\u2019ll let you figure out the connotation there if you don\u2019t already know, but kids should get parental permission before going down that rabbit hole. Settling on number 70 instead, the side show could finally make way for the big show.<\/p>\n

On February 9, 2000, Dennis Rodman made his highly anticipated on-court appearance with the Mavericks. Starting alongside Erick Strickland<\/a>, Michael Finley<\/a>, Cedric Ceballos<\/a> and Dirk Nowitzki<\/a>, no one really knew what to expect. Amazingly, but still somehow not at all surprising for Rodman, he was in peak form as he snatched 13 rebounds in 31 minutes against the Seattle Supersonics<\/a>. After a few days off for All-Star weekend, Rodman ripped down 16 rebounds in 35 minutes of play against the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>. He was playing as though he had not missed a beat, but the Mavs had yet to win in the Rodman era. Ironically their first win with Rodman on the roster came two nights later against the Detroit Pistons<\/a> while he was serving a one-game suspension. It would take until the following game against the Toronto Raptors<\/a> before he finally got his first win in a Mavericks uniform. Unfortunately, the winning ways were fleeting. After the Toronto game, the Mavericks lost 7 of their next 9 games before the Dennis Rodman era came to an end in Dallas.<\/p>\n

If Rodman was being graded on bringing attention to a franchise in the doldrums, he gets top marks. From his preferred jersey number, to arrangements that allowed him to work out on a stationary bike instead of practicing, to sitting down<\/a> on the court in the middle of a game, he was certainly must see TV. If he were being graded on selling tickets, he would get top marks once again. In the home game prior to his debut, 11,126 people were in attendance. When Rodman arrived, 18,203 people showed up (7,077 more people, or a 63% increase!). Rebounding? Top marks again. Rodman averaged an absurd 14.25 RPG, a mark that would have led the NBA this past season. While wearing a Mavericks jersey, he had games where he pulled down 14, 15, 16 (three times), 18, 19 and even 21 rebounds. As far as winning was concerned, that was unfortunately a different story for a Mavericks team attempting to make a Playoff push. In games Rodman played, the Mavericks went 3-9, ultimately finishing the season with a 40-42 record and the 9th seed in the West<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Rodman acquisition is looked back on by some as a failure, but in many ways it was an announcement to the rest of the NBA that things were going to be different in Big D. This was the first of many efforts Cuban made to bring attention to the franchise while ushering in a new era of winning. For Rodman himself, his stint with the Mavericks could hardly be called the ideal retirement tour, yet in a way it was befitting of the enigmatic rebound hound. At age 38, Rodman basically got up off the couch and played as though he was still in his prime. Although his time with the Mavericks amounts to a career footnote, the career itself was truly legendary. Rodman won five NBA Championships, back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, an unprecedented seven straight rebounding titles, made two All-Star Teams, eight All-Defensive Teams, two All-NBA Teams, was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team<\/a> and is a rightful member of the Basketball Hall of Fame<\/a>. I\u2019m sure he brought in at least a few new Maverick fans who stuck around long after his retirement. He achieved all of this across\u2026 wait for it\u2026 911 Regular Season games. Like everything with Rodman, you can\u2019t make this up.<\/p>\n

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