From successful basketball career to owing more than $300,000 in child support,marrying himself and befriending Kim Jong-un

The signing of Dennis Rodman transformed Detroit basketball in the late 80s and the club went ahead to win the championship in 1989 and again in 1990. Headed by former head coach Chuck Daly, the Pistons were a force to reckon with in the Eastern Conference.

He made the 1990 All-star team and won the defensive player of the year award the same year in a single season.

However, Rodman’s relationship with the Pistons went south and he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1995 before he was traded again to the Chicago Bulls where he formed a formidable team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. A team that would go on to sweep three NBA titles in a row.

Following a successful spell in Chicago, Rodman moved to LA Lakers before concluding his career in Dallas with the Dallas Mavericks.

He finished with Five NBA Championships, two All-star appearances and a Hall of Fame induction.

Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman’s complicated relationship

When Rodman was interviewed by journalist Graham Bensinger, he discussed his relationships with the Chicago Bulls’ stars and they were not encouraging at all. It is claimed that Rodman never spoke to any of his Chicago teammates during his time there. Here is a selection of some quotes from the interview.

HESINGER: “Your then teammate when you were with the Bulls, Scottie Pippen, was quoted as saying “I’ve never had a conversation with Dennis. I’ve never had a conversation with Dennis in my life, so I don’t think it’s anything new.” Why not speak to your teammates then?”

RODMAN: “Well, I think it was important for me to go in there and win. I don’t have a job to speak to people. My job is to collate and understand how people work and make people believe in the fact that [I] belong there. Talking to people will come. Relating to people will come. If they see you performing and doing your job and being with the group, that’s all I want. Me and Scottie — we’re cool today. We’re a little older, a little wiser. We’re cool today. And me and Scottie never had a conversation. Me and Scottie and Michael never had a conversation in three years in Chicago. The only time we had a conversation was on the court, and that was it.”

Troubled life

With his questionable character, trouble was never far from him. In 1993, he was found asleep in a truck with a loaded gun, prompting fears that he was suicidal. He, however, quashed the fears by denying the case.

His basketball career was also full of drama as he racked up plenty of League fines for his physical style, the most notable one being the $200,000 fine he paid for kicking a cameraman in the groin while going for a loose ball.

His relationship with women was complicated. He liked showcasing his off-court romances with celebrities like Madonna and Carmen Electra. And was once arrested for hitting his wife at a hotel, an offence he served 45 days of community service for. He also owed 300,000 in child support as per June 2010 reports.

Drama in his life

The flamboyant former NBA star wore a wedding dress and become one of the more notable fashion statements. His wedding dress incident shocked the media and his fans. There were reports flying around claiming he had married himself.

Activities away from basketball

Apart from his NBA career, he also tried Wrestling in the 90s and starred in his own reality show, the Rodman World Tour.

He also appeared in Hollywood films like the 1997 American action comedy film ‘Double Team’ directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Relationship with Kim Jong-un

Rodman, stepped into the spotlight in 2013 when he decided to try his hand in Diplomacy. He travelled to North Korea, a country believed to be isolated and closed to many. He met with the country’s infamous leader Kim Jong-un and played an exhibition basketball match with him. The pair went ahead to watch a game together during the visit.

After the visit, he branded the controversial leader as ‘honest’ and ‘awesome. He also offered to return to North Korea and mend the broken relationship between the isolated state and the USA.