NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of The 1990s
By Phil Watson
50 greatest NBA players from the 1990s — 8. Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman had earned his championship chops and defensive reputation before the 1990s began and rolled into the new decade looking for more.
Rodman helped the Detroit Pistons to a second straight NBA title in 1990, averaging 2.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game in the five-game win over the Portland Trail Blazers while shooting 4-for-9/—/1-for-4. His playing time was limited because of an ankle injury, sitting out Game 3 entirely.
With Detroit in the decade, he was a two-time All-Star and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1989-90 and 1990-91. He was also an All-NBA selection in 1991-92 and a four-time All-Defensive pick.
Rodman led the NBA in rebounds and rebounds per game in 1991-92 (1,530 and 18.7) and 1992-93 (1,132 and 18.3).
But in October 1993, Rodman was traded with Isaiah Morris, a second-round pick in 1994 and a 1996 first-rounder to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott, David Wood and a first-rounder in 1996.
In four seasons with the Pistons in the 1990s, Rodman averaged 8.6 points, 14.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 35.2 minutes per game, shooting .514/.254/.609.
With San Antonio, Rodman was an All-NBA selection in 1994-95 and was named to two All-Defensive teams.
He led the NBA in rebounds in 1993-94 with 1,367 and in rebounds per game in both 1993-94 (17.3) and 1994-95 (16.8).
That wasn’t enough to keep him, as the Spurs dealt him to the Chicago Bulls in October 1995 for Will Perdue.
In two seasons with San Antonio, Rodman averaged 5.6 points, 17.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 35.6 minutes per game, shooting .551/.192/.601.
With Chicago, Rodman was an All-Defensive pick in 1995-96 and helped the Bulls to three straight titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
He again led the league in rebounds in 1997-98 with 1,201 and was the leader in rebounds per game in 1995-96 (14.9), 1996-97 (16.1) and 1997-98 (15.0).
In a six-game triumph over the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals, Rodman averaged 7.5 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 37.5 minutes per game, shooting .486/—/11-for-19.
The Bulls topped the Utah Jazz in six games in the 1997 Finals, with Rodman averaging 2.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per game on 5-for-20/1-for-6/3-for-8 shooting.
In another six-game win over Utah in the 1998 NBA Finals, Rodman averaged 3.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and an assist in 30.5 minutes per game, shooting 6-for-13/—/8-for-12.
Released by the Bulls after the lockout ended in January 1999, Rodman signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in February 1999.
With Chicago for three seasons, Rodman averaged 5.2 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 34.6 minutes per game, shooting .452/.174/.548.
In his lone season with the Lakers, he averaged 2.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.6 minutes per game, shooting .348/0-for-2/.436.
He was waived by the Lakers in April 1999 and signed with the Dallas Mavericks in February 2000, lasting a little more than a month before he was waived, marking his final NBA stop.
But he returned to the court in the American Basketball Association in 2003 and played in that league, as well as in Finland and the United Kingdom, before retiring for good in 2006 at age 45.
Rodman was originally a second-round pick out of Southeastern Oklahoma State by the Pistons in the 1986 NBA Draft.
He led the NBA in the 1990s with 9,964 rebounds and an average of 15.1 rebounds per game.
Rodman is 22nd in NBA history with 11,954 rebounds and 10th with an average of 13.1 rebounds per game.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.