<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's all one long reality show for Dennis Rodman now, and that's the crying shame of it. Not for Rodman, of course; the man is living his life and, what, you and I are going to tell him he can't? He wants to fall drunk off motorcycles and be on a first-name basis with half the cops in Newport Beach, that's how it's going to be. Nope, the shame here is really for anyone who didn't see Rodman before he became a cartoon. The shame is for the basketball fan for whom Rodman's name only conjures a vision of a tattooed love boy getting escorted off the court with his jersey being flung into the stands, or Carmen Electra's toy of the month. And why a shame at all? Simply this: The man could play. Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Rodman's life in the public eye is how few people seem to remember why he got there in the first place. You may not believe this, but the man in the feather boa was just an incredibly good basketball player. Oh, he had no all-around game; Rodman didn't score much and didn't seem terribly interested in it. When he got the ball on an offensive possession, he looked for all the world like he just absolutely couldn't wait to get rid of it again. They won't recall him as Michael Jordan's twin brother. But with Rodman now preparing a return to -- well, we have no idea what the 42-year-old plans to return to. But with Rodman having signed with the Long Beach Jam of the American Basketball Association, and there existing at least an outside shot at the man snagging an invite to an NBA practice facility sometime in the relatively near future, it is at least worth taking a few minutes to remember what it was that made him so valuable in the league to begin with.</div> I love this part: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In his heyday, during star turns in Detroit, San Antonio and -- famously -- the Jordan-era Bulls of championship greatness, Rodman watched more basketball videotape than anyone reading this might actually be compelled to believe. He studied the tendencies of shooters around the league -- but the tendencies of his teammates more than anyone else. Rodman memorized Jordan's game so thoroughly that if Michael dribbled off the right wing to prepare a jump shot, Dennis knew where the ball was most likely to carom if it missed. He was the best I've ever seen at anticipating the location of a miss, especially on the offensive end. He won scores of rebounds strictly on smarts.</div> Full Story by Mark Kreidler
The last part shows how much he works at something he really wants. If Rodman has the heart, and really wants to come back to the NBA. There is no doubt in my mind he will do it.
[His life was so sad, I'm glad he's totally not like Iron Mike whom also had a bad life. I'll quote OG Showtime, he said something really great beforehand. "he hides behind a facade", he really should be himself, he'd play and actually "be" so much better. The real Rodman.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's all one long reality show for Dennis Rodman now, and that's the crying shame of it. Not for Rodman, of course; the man is living his life and, what, you and I are going to tell him he can't? He wants to fall drunk off motorcycles and be on a first-name basis with half the cops in Newport Beach, that's how it's going to be. Nope, the shame here is really for anyone who didn't see Rodman before he became a cartoon. The shame is for the basketball fan for whom Rodman's name only conjures a vision of a tattooed love boy getting escorted off the court with his jersey being flung into the stands, or Carmen Electra's toy of the month.</div> Yes and no. True, the shame of it all is that many did not have the opportunity to watch Rodman in his "bad-boy" Pistons days. The days before he began his tatoo-laden, self-destructive path into pop cultures spotlight. Before this, Rodman was known simply as a hard-nosed, funny looking guy with big ears, a goofy smile and a huge heart on the court. In those days, Dennis had no need to be adored, for the first time in his life he actually had a family that truly cared about him. He was part of a special group of players, who at the time were the antithesis of the "Hollywood" glitz and glamour of the Lakers. They were a group of hard-nosed "mothers", who would knock you down and put a foot in your chest for good measure. This is what Dennis needed, he had their back, they had his. No questions asked - unconditional love. On the other hand, I do think it's also a shame that Dennis is starving for attention now more than ever. At a time when he should be at home, enjoying his beautiful family and beach front property, his actions are becoming increasingly reckless. Of course these decisions are those of Dennis himself, nobody is forcing him to bungee into the side of a cliff or crash his motorcycle into the wall of a Vegas casino. But, somebody should care enough to stop him from making these decisions. Despite his seeming lack of intelligence, Dennis is actually a smarter individual than even he wants to admit. That being said, intelligence and wisdom are worlds apart. Dennis may know that he shouldn't be doing these things, but for some reason he simply can't stop himself. He needs help. Something is obviously missing in Dennis' life. Basketball is that void. As much as he likes to party in Vegas with women and alcohol loaded to the hilt, there's no doubt in my mind that he would rather be on the court than anywhere else. He's simply substituting one drug for another, for what he truly craves. He understands this is his last opportunity to play the game professionally. One more season before riding off into the sunset, but I don't think that'll be enough for Dennis. I hope to see him back on the bench as a coach or scout somewhere. He has the ability, he just needs the opportunity. He needs someone to have faith in him, 100%. If that doesn't end up being enough, if Dennis is simply "too far gone" and is unwilling to put in the effort, so be it. Dennis will continue to self-destruct and become a sad parody of the man he once was. If it happens that way, that's how it must be. He will likely lose everything. I just hope for the sake of his family, true friends and all other basketball fans who had grown to know and love the "real" Dennis Rodman, that the story doesn't end that way. It's not a story befitting this man, and it's not what the real Dennis Rodman is all about.
True. I remember my first Rodman card, from '90 when he was with Detroit. Hardly recognizable from his later days. After reading about his video tape habits, I am amazed by one thing: why don't more players do this, memorizing where shots will most likely fall? Degrade Rodman if you will, but remember this: for this man, basketball was a job, and he worked for the money he earned.
But sadly, people would see Rodman as the clown that he is. They fail to recognize what he did for the sake of basketball. Honestly, I admire him so much and it's just now that I knew off his video tape habits. As a basketball player, he earned more of my respect. I'm sure that everyone who paid him is happy to part with their money on this guy. He surely earned it.
