Dennis Keith Rodman was born on May 13, 1961. He was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known for his strong defense and ability to grab rebounds. According to his biography on the NBA website, he is considered "one of the best rebounding forwards in NBA history." His nickname was "the Worm." Rodman played for several NBA teams, including the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. He started as a small forward but later played as a power forward.

Rodman was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice. He led the NBA in rebounds per game for seven years in a row and won five NBA championships. In 2011, the Pistons retired his jersey number 10. That same year, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honored some of the league's greatest players.

Rodman had a difficult childhood and was described as shy and quiet when he was young. In 1993, he considered ending his life but later changed his behavior and became known for his bold and sometimes controversial actions. He dyed his hair unusual colors, got many tattoos and piercings, and often argued with opponents and officials during games. He wore a wedding dress to promote his 1996 book Bad as I Wanna Be. He also gained international attention for visiting North Korea and becoming friends with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, in 2013.

In addition to basketball, Rodman worked in professional wrestling. He was part of the nWo group and teamed up with Hulk Hogan in major wrestling events. He won the first-ever Celebrity Championship Wrestling tournament. Rodman had his own TV show called The Rodman World Tour and appeared in movies like Double Team (1997) and Simon Sez (1999). He also participated in reality TV shows and won $222,000 in the 2004 season of Celebrity Mole.

Early life

Rodman was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Shirley and Philander Rodman, Jr., who was a member of the military and later served in the Vietnam War. When Rodman was young, his father left the family and moved to the Philippines. Rodman has many brothers and sisters: his father said he has either 26 or 28 siblings on his father’s side. However, Rodman said he is the oldest of a total of 47 children.

After his father left, Shirley worked several different jobs to support the family, sometimes holding up to four jobs at the same time. In his 1996 biography Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman wrote, “I haven’t seen my father in more than 30 years, so what’s there to miss… I just look at it like this: Some man brought me into this world. That doesn’t mean I have a father.” Rodman did not see his father again until 2012.

Rodman and his two sisters, Debra and Kim, grew up in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, which was one of the poorest areas of the city at that time. Rodman’s mother gave him the nickname “The Worm” because of the way he moved while playing pinball. Rodman was very close to his mother and refused to leave when she sent him to a nursery school at age four. He said his mother focused more on his sisters, who were better at basketball than he was. This made him feel embarrassed when he was with them. He described feeling “overwhelmed” by living in a home with only women. Debra and Kim later became top players in college basketball, with Debra winning two national championships.

While attending South Oak Cliff High School, Rodman was a student in gym class with Gary Blair, who later became a basketball coach at Texas A&M. Blair also coached Rodman’s sisters, Debra and Kim, and won three state championships with them. However, Rodman was not seen as an athletic standout. He said he could not make a layup in basketball and was often not chosen to play on teams. At 5 feet 6 inches tall as a freshman, he also did not make the football team, which made him very upset.

College career

After finishing high school, Rodman worked as a night janitor at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. He then experienced a sudden growth spurt from 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 meters) and decided to try basketball again, even though he felt uncomfortable in his own body.

A family friend told the head coach of Cooke County College (now North Central Texas College) in Gainesville, Texas, about Rodman. During his one semester there, he averaged 17.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. However, he failed his classes because of poor academic performance and left the school. After this short time, he transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, an NAIA school. There, Rodman was a three-time NAIA All-American and led the NAIA in rebounding twice (1985, 1986). Over three seasons (1983–1986), he averaged 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, with a .637 field goal percentage. In 1986, he led his team to the NAIA semifinals, where he scored 46 points in a single game and grabbed a tournament-tying record of 32 rebounds. His team finished the season with the highest ranking in school history, at No. 3 in the nation. This performance earned him an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a pre-draft camp for NBA hopefuls, where he won Most Valuable Player honors and caught the attention of the Detroit Pistons.

During college, Rodman worked at a summer youth basketball camp, where he met a camper named Byrne Rich, who was 13 years old at the time. Byrne was shy and withdrawn because of a hunting accident in which he accidentally shot and killed his best friend. The two became very close friends. Byrne invited Rodman to his rural Oklahoma home. At first, the Rich family did not welcome Rodman because he was 22 years old and Black, but they later appreciated how he helped Byrne come out of his shell and set aside their prejudices. Although Rodman had serious family and personal problems, he considered the Rich family his "surrogate family" and moved from city life to live on a farm, driving a tractor and working with cows. Rodman credited the Rich family for helping him through college. However, as of 2013, he had stopped communicating with the Rich family after Byrne’s mother reportedly called him a "nigger."

Professional basketball career

Rodman became eligible to be picked in the 1986 NBA draft. He was chosen by the Detroit Pistons as the third pick in the second round (27th overall). He joined the Pistons, a team led by coach Chuck Daly, known for their aggressive style of play. The team included players like Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars at guard positions, Adrian Dantley and Sidney Green at forward, and Bill Laimbeer as center. Other key players who played more than 15 minutes per game included sixth man Vinnie Johnson and backup forwards Rick Mahorn and John Salley. Rodman contributed 6.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and strong defense in 15 minutes per game.

The Pistons won 52 games during the 1986–87 season and entered the playoffs. They defeated the Washington Bullets and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds but lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rodman argued with Celtics guard Dennis Johnson during the series. In Game Seven, Johnson mimicked Rodman’s taunting gesture after the Celtics won.

After the loss, Rodman said that Celtics star Larry Bird was overrated because he was white. He claimed, “Why does he get so much publicity? Because he’s white. You never hear about a black player being the greatest.” His teammate Isiah Thomas supported him, but Rodman faced criticism. He avoided being called a racist because his girlfriend, Anicka “Annie” Bakes, was white.

In the 1987–88 season, Rodman improved his stats, averaging 11.6 points and 8.7 rebounds. He started in 32 of 82 regular-season games. The Pistons reached the 1988 NBA Finals but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. In Game Six, Rodman missed a chance to win the title after a missed shot by Dumars. In Game Seven, his defense helped cut the Lakers’ lead, but the Pistons lost. Rodman and Annie had a daughter named Alexis that year.

During the 1988–89 season, Rodman averaged 9.0 points and 9.4 rebounds in 27 minutes per game. He was voted to the All-Defensive Team for the first time. After Adrian Dantley was traded, Rodman played more minutes. The Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls in the playoffs and won the 1989 NBA Finals against the Lakers. Rodman had back spasms but still grabbed 19 rebounds in one game.

In the 1989–90 season, the Pistons lost Rick Mahorn to an expansion draft. Rodman took over Mahorn’s role, averaging 8.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year and had the best field goal percentage in the league. The Pistons beat the Bulls again in the playoffs and won the 1990 NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the 1990–91 season, Rodman became the starting small forward. He averaged 8.2 points and 12.5 rebounds and won his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Pistons lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.

In the 1991–92 season, Rodman averaged 18.7 rebounds per game, winning his first of seven consecutive rebounding titles. He scored 9.8 points per game and made his first All-NBA Team. His 1,530 rebounds in the season were the most since Wilt Chamberlain in 1971–72. The Pistons were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the 1992 playoffs.

Rodman faced challenges when coach Chuck Daly resigned in 1992. Rodman skipped training and was fined $68,000. In the 1992–93 season, he and Annie Bakes divorced, and the Pistons won only 40 games, missing the playoffs.

In his 1996 biography Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman described a difficult time in 1993 when he considered ending his life. He later said he decided to live fully and be himself. In 1993, the Pistons traded him to the San Antonio Spurs.

In the 1993–94 season, Rodman joined the Spurs, who had center David Robinson and other players. He played as a power forward, averaged 17.3 rebounds per game, and won his third consecutive rebounding title. Rodman began showing unconventional behavior, such as changing his hair color and style.

Legacy in basketball

From the start of his career, Rodman was known for his strong defense, which later included his ability to grab many rebounds. In Detroit, he usually played as a small forward and was often assigned to stop the opponent's best player. Rodman was very flexible and could guard centers, forwards, or guards equally well. He won two NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Starting in 1991, he became one of the best rebounders in NBA history, averaging at least 15 rebounds per game in six of the next seven seasons. While playing power forward for the Spurs and Bulls, he had a historic performance in the 1996 NBA Finals, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds twice, which matched an NBA record. He also had a career-high game with 34 rebounds on March 4, 1992. His rebounding skills with Detroit and San Antonio were helped by his focus on grabbing rebounds rather than strictly defending. Coach Daly said Rodman was focused on rebounding but was still a hard worker and willing to listen to coaches. His defensive energy returned when he joined the Chicago Bulls.

On offense, Rodman's scoring was not very high. He averaged 11.6 points per game in his second season, but this number dropped over time. During his three championship seasons with the Bulls, he averaged only five points per game and made less than half of his shots. His free throw shooting (a lifetime average of 58.4%) was a weakness. On December 29, 1997, Bubba Wells of the Dallas Mavericks intentionally fouled him six times in three minutes, setting a record for the fastest foul-out in NBA history. This strategy aimed to force Rodman to take free throws, which would likely lead to missed shots. However, Rodman made 9 out of 12 attempts, which was unexpected. This approach later became known as the "Hack-a-Shaq" method, used against other poor free throw shooters like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard.

Over 14 NBA seasons, Rodman played in 911 games, scored 6,683 points, and grabbed 11,954 rebounds. This averages to 7.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, even though he only played about 31.7 minutes per game. NBA.com describes Rodman as "arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history" and one of the most well-known athletes globally. However, it also notes that he was "enigmatic and individualistic," drawing attention for his changing hair colors, tattoos, and unique lifestyle. On the court, he was one of the most successful defensive players ever, winning five NBA championships in six Finals appearances (1989, 1990, 1996–1998) and losing once in 1988. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice (1990–1991) and was named to seven NBA All-Defensive First Teams (1989–1993, 1995–1996) and two All-Defensive Second Teams (1994). He also made two All-NBA Third Teams (1992, 1995), two NBA All-Star Teams (1990, 1992), and led the league in rebounding seven times (1992–1998). Additionally, he led the league once in field goal percentage (1989).

Rodman was known for his unusual style, surprising fans with his colorful hair, tattoos, and body piercings. He was also known for arguing with officials, being ejected from games often, and having a difficult personal life. He was ranked No. 48 on the 2009 SLAM Magazine list of the Top 50 Players of All-Time. In 2021, to celebrate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic named Rodman as the 62nd greatest player in NBA history. Metta World Peace wore the number 91 jersey in honor of Rodman, calling him a player who was "a great worker on the court, not when he kicked the cameraman."

Professional wrestling career

Rodman took his hobby of professional wrestling seriously and appeared on the March 10 edition of Monday Nitro with Hollywood Hulk Hogan in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). At the March 1997 Uncensored event, he was part of the nWo group. His first match happened at the July 1997 Bash at the Beach event, where he teamed with Hogan but lost to Lex Luger and The Giant. At the August 1997 Road Wild event, Rodman appeared as the Impostor Sting and hit Luger with a baseball bat to help Hogan win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

After the 1997–98 season, when Rodman and the Chicago Bulls defeated Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals, Rodman and Malone faced each other again in a tag team match at the July 1998 Bash at the Beach event. Rodman wrestled with Hulk Hogan, while Malone teamed with Diamond Dallas Page. The match, which lasted 23 minutes, included basic moves like headlocks, slams, and clotheslines. Rodman and Hogan won the match.

Rodman returned to WCW in 1999 and had a conflict with Randy Savage. This conflict ended in a match at Road Wild, which Rodman lost.

On July 30, 2000, Rodman competed at the i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling pay-per-view event. He faced i-Generation champion Curt Hennig in an Australian Outback match, which Hennig won by disqualification. After this match, Rodman stopped competing at the highest level and retired.

Rodman came out of retirement to appear on Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, which aired on CMT. He won the series, defeating other challengers like Butterbean and Dustin Diamond.

Rodman appeared on the September 2 episode of AEW Collision, where he was confronted by Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh. During the segment, he joined The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn and accompanied them to the ring the next night during All Out on September 3, 2023.

• Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling Celebrity Championship Wrestling Tournament Champion
• WWE WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2026)

Media appearances

In 1995, Rodman appeared as himself in an episode of the CBS situation comedy Double Rush.

In 1996, Rodman had his own MTV reality talk show called The Rodman World Tour, which showed him in unusual situations. That same year, Rodman appeared in two releases by the rock band Pearl Jam. A Polaroid picture of Rodman’s eyeball is on the cover of the album No Code, and the song "Black, Red, Yellow," a B-side of the lead single "Hail, Hail," was written about Rodman. Rodman also contributed a voice message to the song.

In 1997, Rodman made his feature film debut in the action film Double Team, starring alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mickey Rourke. The film received poor reviews, and Rodman’s performance earned him three Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst New Star, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Screen Couple (shared with Van Damme). Rodman starred in Simon Sez, a 1999 action/comedy, and co-starred with Tom Berenger in a 2000 action film about skydiving titled Cutaway. In 1998, he joined the cast of the syndicated TV show Special Ops Force, playing 'Deke' Reynolds, a flamboyant but skilled ex-Army helicopter pilot and demolitions expert.

In 2005, Rodman became the first man to pose naked for PETA’s advertisement campaign "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur." That same year, Rodman traveled to Finland and participated in a wife-carrying contest in Sonkajärvi in July. However, he left the contest due to health issues. Also in 2005, Rodman published his second autobiography, I Should Be Dead By Now. He promoted the book by sitting in a coffin. Rodman became Commissioner of the Lingerie Football League in 2005.

Since entering acting, Rodman has appeared in few roles outside of playing himself. He appeared in an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, playing himself but shown as an alien with the Solomon family. He also voiced an animated version of himself in the Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror XVI."

Rodman has appeared in several reality shows. In January 2006, he appeared on the fourth version of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK. In July 2006, he was a houseguest on the UK series Love Island for a week. He also appeared on the show Celebrity Mole on ABC and won the $222,000 grand prize.

In 2008, Rodman became a spokesman for the sports website OPENSports.com, created by Mike Levy, founder and former CEO of CBS Sportsline.com. Rodman also writes a blog and answers members’ questions for OPENSports.

In 2009, Rodman appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. During the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity of their choice; Rodman chose the Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Orleans. He was the fifth contestant eliminated on March 29, 2009.

In 2013, Rodman returned as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice. He raised $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and was the sixth contestant eliminated on April 7, 2013.

In March 2013, Rodman visited Vatican City during the 2013 Papal Conclave. The trip was organized by an Irish gambling company. Rodman said, "I'm just promoting this website. It's a gambling website, and it's about people who are

Personal life

In 1994, Dennis Rodman had a well-known relationship with Madonna. Madonna arranged to meet Rodman by interviewing him for Vibe magazine. They were supposed to appear on the cover of the June/July 1994 issue, but Quincy Jones, the magazine’s founder, put it on hold. Rodman claimed they tried to have a child because Madonna offered him $20 million to impregnate her.

Rodman married his first wife, Annie Bakes, in September 1992. They began dating in 1987 and had a daughter. Their marriage faced challenges, including infidelity and accusations of abuse. They divorced after 82 days.

On November 14, 1998, Rodman married model Carmen Electra at the Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nine days later, Rodman filed for an annulment, saying he was not thinking clearly when they married. They reconciled, but Electra filed for divorce in April 1999. She later said being Rodman’s girlfriend was an “occupational hazard.”

In 1999, Rodman met Michelle Moyer, with whom he had a son, Dennis Jr. (“DJ,” born April 25, 2001), and a daughter, Trinity (born May 20, 2002). Moyer and Rodman married in 2003 on his 42nd birthday. Michelle filed for divorce in 2004, though the couple tried to reconcile. The marriage officially ended in 2012. It was reported that Rodman owed $860,376 in child and spousal support.

DJ started playing college basketball for Washington State in 2019 and later transferred to USC in 2023. Rodman’s daughter, Trinity, is a professional soccer player for the Washington Spirit and the United States national team. In a 2024 interview, Trinity said she rarely heard from Rodman while growing up and stated, “He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.”

On July 14, 2020, Rodman’s father, Philander, died of prostate cancer in Angeles City, Philippines, at age 79. Rodman reconciled with his father in 2012 after decades of being estranged.

Rodman entered an outpatient rehab center in Florida in May 2008. In May 2009, his behavior on Celebrity Apprentice led to an intervention involving Phil Jackson, Rodman’s family, and friends. Rodman initially refused rehab to attend the Celebrity Apprentice reunion show but later agreed to appear on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2009. He completed a 21-day treatment program and then moved to a sober-living facility in the Hollywood Hills, which was filmed for Sober House. During episode seven of Sober House, Rodman reunited with his mother, Shirley, whom he had not seen for seven years. During this visit, Shirley met Rodman’s two children for the first time. On January 10, 2010, the same day Celebrity Rehab premiered, Rodman was removed from a restaurant in Orange County, California, for disruptive behavior. In March 2012, Rodman’s financial advisor said, “In all honesty, Dennis, although a very sweet person, is an alcoholic. His sickness impacts his ability to get work.”

On January 15, 2014, Rodman entered a rehabilitation facility to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. This followed a well-known trip to North Korea, where his agent, Darren Prince, reported he had been drinking heavily.

Rodman has resolved several lawsuits out of court related to allegations of sexual assault.

In August 1999, Rodman was arrested for public drunkenness after an altercation at Woody’s Wharf in Newport Beach, California. The charges were dropped.

On November 5, 1999, Rodman and his then-wife, Carmen Electra, were charged with misdemeanor battery after a domestic disturbance. Both posted bail and were released with a temporary restraining order. The charges were dropped the next month.

In December 1999, Rodman was arrested for drunk driving and driving without a valid license. In July 2000, he pleaded guilty to both charges and was ordered to pay $2,000 in fines and attend a three-month treatment program.

In 2002, Rodman was arrested for interfering with police investigating a code violation at a restaurant he owned. The charges were dropped. After settling in Newport Beach, California, police visited his home over 70 times due to loud parties. In early 2003, Rodman was arrested and charged with domestic violence for allegedly assaulting his then-fiancée.

In April 2004, Rodman pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) to drunk driving in Las Vegas. He was fined $1,000 and ordered to serve 30 days of home detention. On April 30, 2008, Rodman was arrested following a domestic violence incident at a Los Angeles hotel. On June 24, 2008, he again pleaded no contest to the charges. He received three years of probation,

Works

• Rodman, Dennis (1994). Rebound: The Dennis Rodman Story. Crown. ISBN 0-517-59294-0.
• Rodman, Dennis (1996). Bad as I Wanna Be. Random House Publishing. ISBN 0-440-22266-4.
• Rodman, Dennis (1997). Walk on the Wild Side. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-31897-9.
• Rodman, Dennis (2005). I Should Be Dead by Now. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-59670-016-5.
• Rodman, Dennis (2013). Dennis the Wild Bull. Neighborhood Publishers. ISBN 978-0-61575-249-5.

• Eddie (1996) as Himself (cameo)
• Double Team (1997) as Yaz
• Simon Sez (1999) as Simon
• Cutaway (2000) as Randy "Turbo" Kingston
• The Comebacks (2007) as Warden (cameo)
• Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang (2015) as Himself
• Rodman: For Better or Worse (2019) as Himself