The Last Dance: Rodman’s Vegas excursion and the 1998 Chicago Bulls

The 1998 Chicago Bulls faced unprecedented media scrutiny. How, then, could Dennis Rodman afford a midseason vacation to Las Vegas, and what did that ultimately mean for the team?

You have heard the common trope: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. For Dennis Rodman, what happens in Vegas is recorded, analyzed, and, twenty years later, parts of it are released in ESPN’s most-viewed sports documentary ever, the Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls-focused The Last Dance.

In Episode 4 of “The Last Dance,” the documentary details the story of what was supposed to be Rodman’s 48-hour vacation from the 1998 Chicago Bulls. Unsurprisingly, absurdity abounds, good times are had, and Rodman comes back to the team refreshed. I offer a breakdown of what happens, some pressing questions that arise, and what it ultimately meant for Rodman that Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson let Rodman be himself.

What Actually Happened in Vegas

Everyone who is interested in Vegas has certain friends in mind that would be more valuable to have on a trip than others. In a Vegas squad draft where anyone throughout history is eligible, is it a stretch to say that 1998 Dennis Rodman would be a lottery pick?

After the airing of this episode, it is clear that Rodman’s Vegas draft stock has only risen. Carmen Electra, who was just so much fun in this episode and will be discussed more later, summarized Rodman’s appearances in Vegas best: “it was ON.”

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Rodman and Electra frequented Vegas enough to have a routine. Electra describes going to Rodman’s favorite restaurant, then heading to the nightclubs, only to end up at an after-party to finish the night.

This leads to very important questions: who were Rodman’s Vegas Buddies, and how did they qualify for that position? A few necessary qualifications can be discerned. Based on their eagerness to make egregious toasts, it appears that the Vegas Buddies matched Rodman’s penchant for nefarious deeds in the Sin City. The Vegas Buddies seemed to spare no expense and were wealthy enough to hang with Rodman.

Also, imagine qualifying for the Vegas Buddies and you get the call that Rodman is coming to town in the middle of the season. I imagine the reaction is something akin to this. Were the Vegas Buddies in Vegas full-time? Were they just always there partying, even without Rodman? Did they fly in to meet Rodman? These were the questions that kept me up last night.

Perhaps most importantly, to be a Vegas Buddy, you had to be a “no questions asked” kind of person.

Electra admits that she did not realize Rodman was taking a detour to go to Vegas in ’98 (which leads me to my only knock on Electra: you are dating an NBA player, at the very least you need to have Bulls’ League Pass, come on). Still, Rodman was one of the most recognizable people in the world at this point. I find it unlikely that he wanted to be pestered with questions about his schedule or the team’s apparent issues.

Instead, his priority when he went to Vegas was to get away from basketball for a moment.

Best Quote

Rodman was not shy about making his Vegas priorities clear. The nominees for best quote:

• “It’s all about getting your groove on, right?” -Dennis Rodman

The underlying theme of Rodman’s excursion is that he was more than a basketball player. He used this time to explore other parts of his identity so he could come back recharged and finish out the ’98 season. If we take one thing away from the Rodman portion of episode four, it is that he did indeed get his groove on.

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• “It’s kamikaze time. It’s time to blow your mind. It’s kamikaze time.” -Rodman and the Vegas Buddies

This toast was funny, but the unfortunate reality is that it just was not that snappy. The ending cadence and rhythm were completely off. Rodman and the Vegas Buddies cheer it together before Rodman caps it off with a “suck it down, motherf*****s.” But honestly, the toast is better served by replacing the second “it’s kamikaze time” with another rendition of the middle part. A chant is all about resolving the melody. While absurd and fun, it is not cut out to be the winner.

• “It was definitely an occupational hazard to be Dennis’ girlfriend.” -Carmen Electra

Just an A+ performance from Electra. Her last film appearance was in 2015, her last TV appearance was in 2016, and her last music single was released in 2014. It is good to know that she still is capable of throwing her 98 mph fastball when she wants to.

• “Mixing it up; bring on the shookers! That’s w***** and s****, if you’re recording.” -Dennis Rodman (you can fill in the blanks yourself there)

I formally redact my statement saying I think Rodman would be an all-time Vegas companion. It is ridiculously clear that I would not be able to hang.

• “He don’t look at me as a basketball player. He look at me as a great friend.” -Dennis Rodman, about Phil Jackson

Ding ding ding. This is the winner. Rodman praises Jackson, Jordan, and Pippen for allowing him to be himself, knowing that if they did so, he would take care of business on the basketball court. After all, Rodman is a guy who repeatedly sacrificed his body for the good of the team without wrapping himself up in any of the glory (Rodman has 159 games with 20 or more rebounds; Karl Malone has the next highest amount of such games with 95).

On a team that faced so much scrutiny, it is nice to know that one of its core, foundational principles was mutual respect.

Unsung Hero Award

There is a clear winner here, but Horace Grant receives an honorable mention for his iconic description of the 1991 Detroit Pistons.

Still, Carmen Electra undoubtedly wins this award. The documentary correctly does not go into the complexities of Rodman and Electra’s relationship, and there are many more stories the two have from Vegas that are not relevant to the ’98 season. Electra is still an absolute delight in this episode.

For many, the most memorable part of Episode 4 will be Electra’s description of how she hid behind the couch after finding out Michael Jordan was at the door to collect Rodman. She only had very little input, yet she will be remembered for some of the funniest parts of the story so far.

Head-Scratching Decisions

No winners here, just a few nominees for absurd choices regarding the circumstances:

• Was Rodman naked on stage? One clip of Rodman dancing on a nightclub stage has some clear blurring going on downstairs. In said clip, his hair is green, so it is clearly not from the ’98 season trip, when his hair was still yellow with black in it. I get that this is showing him being wild, but was it really necessary to further bury Rodman like this?
• Rodman showing up to practice in pajamas. It is already gutsy to request a vacation in the middle of an NBA season. It is gutsier still to stay longer on your vacation than the allotted 48 hours. Undoubtedly the gutsiest move Rodman made was to show up to practice late from his vacation wearing pajama pants. This move might have been acceptable in Intro to Astronomy at Southeastern Oklahoma State, but it is an unbelievable flex to do it when he did.
• Phil signing off on Michael Jordan going to get Dennis Rodman. Nah, shouldn’t be a problem.

It is fair to gripe about The Last Dance’s, at times, confusing back-and-forth timeline and pacing. Still, this documentary is providing top-notch content, and I will be forever grateful that I got a small look into Dennis Rodman’s Las Vegas excursion during the 1998 season.

With the 1998 Chicago Bulls facing unprecedented media scrutiny, it was amazing how they banded together, mutually appreciating and respecting one another, to win their last championship.