NBA great Dennis Rodman was different and he owned his level of different.
A five time NBA Champion with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and the Detroit Pistons and Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls.
While many give Allen Iverson the credit for cornrows and tattoos, Rodman had the cheat code to the lifestyle! He had the tats, dyed hair and pretty women on his arm like Carmen Electra and Madonna.
One could argue that Rodman, a two time NBA All Star, seven-time All-Defensive First Teamer made tattoos ‘a thing’ before it became universal in today’s NBA.
“He branded himself very well because he made it apparent to get under people skin,” retired NBA player, Sam Perkins told me on the Scoop B & Reg Podcast.
“And people are attracted to that. I compare him to Omarosa and she goes on shows to get under people skin.”
The fourth pick in the the 1984 NBA Draft, Perkins was USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year that same year and spent 17 years in the NBA with notable stints with the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and the Seattle SuperSonics.
Big Smooth averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds during his career and had solid roles during a couple of NBA Finals appearances with the Lakers, Sonics and the Pacers.
He dug what Rodman, a seven-time NBA rebounding champion did with his career.
“He attracts negativity in his favor to get people mad and upset to go back at him,” Perkins told Scoop B & Reg.
“When they retaliate he is the innocent child all of a sudden; to the point that he attracts negativity in his favor to get people mad and upset to go back at him. When they retaliate he is the innocent child all of a sudden.”
Rodman had a great career. He had his No. 10 retired by Detroit Pistons and was also an NBA All-Defensive Second Teamer. Perkins hints that Rodman’s swag carried on tradition to the next generation in a different way.
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“I think today the personalities are bigger than the game,” he said Perkins.
“I just heard Lonzo Ball did not want to go to the Pelicans. He’d rather go to the Bulls, ‘don’t trade me.'”
Added Perkins on Ball: “He is a young guy. And he feels because Anthony Davis gave a list of the teams he wanted to be traded to, Ball feels he can do the same. He is in his second year hasn’t done much. He had a couple games, but he hasn’t done much and that is where the conflict of the personalities are bigger than the game. There are legends out here that have more tenure than you, but don’t have your ability.
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Los Angeles Lakers Great Compares Bulls’ Dennis Rodman to Omarosa Manigault