My initial reaction when I heard Dennis Rodman had been inducted into the basketball hall of fame was that his 5 championship rings gave him a lot of credibility. He was an integral part of the Bad Boys in the late 80's and the 2nd Chicago Bulls three peat in the mid 90's. His defensive and rebounding prowess made him a unique talent, however I still questioned whether he was worthy of the hall of fame or not. If you look at the numbers it's not even close.
For an entire career Dennis Rodman averaged 7.3 points and 13 rebounds per game. He never averaged more than 3 assists and didn't block any shots. If you don't factor in the intangibles there's no way to make a compelling argument. Dennis Rodman had the ability to guard 4 different positions on the court and his tenacious defense, intensity, and energy helped his teams win at a high level. David Robinson and Michael Jordan both won league MVP awards while Dennis was a team mate and his ability to shut down the opposing team's best player shouldn't go unnoticed. Does that make him a hall of famer though?
I've always been able to look past Dennis Rodman's colorful personality and assess him solely on his basketball skills. Never mind the tattoos, piercings, hair color, wedding dresses, and kisses with RuPaul. He was a hell of a basketball player that won defensive player of the year 2 twice, first team all defense 7 times and the rebounding title 7 times. He routinely shut down the leagues most prolific scorers and frustrated big men to no end. I will look back on the career of Dennis Rodman with fond memories and acknowledgement of his impact on the game. When I look at his entire body of work however (as hard as I try) I don't see a hall of fame basketball player. Your thoughts.
dennis rodman wow basketball is easy for me dennis rodman is lucky for playing with mike scottie and the whole chicago team 5 rings is the only reason he gets my vote plus he is adopted what a kid
ReplyDeleteThanks for the read Greg. I coudln't agree with you more. He played with Isaiah and Joe Dumars for his first 2 rings then with Jordan and Pippen for his next 3 rings. Nothing too hall of fame worthy about that is there.
ReplyDeleteYour missing the whole point. You can't factor out the "intangibles," that's exactly why Rodman was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
ReplyDeleteHard work, team chemistry, hustle plays, defense, all the little things - the "intangibles" win championships - not highlights.
And nobody takes care of the intangibles better than Dennis Rodman. Under-sized, limited skill set, and a bit of a headcase, but in spite it all, he got it done every night.
Two great basketball related stories define Rodman's value:
Number 1
A New York sports writer questioned the addition of Rodman to the All-Star team over Rod Strickland. He went on to jab at Rodman's offensive prowess by stating Rodman couldn't score in double digits even if he were locked in a gym on alone for two hours.
A Detroit writer fired back with a quip that if Rod Strickland and Rodman were lock in a gym together for two hours, Strickland couldn't score in double digits either!
Number 2
When questioned about the culminating event in the 2nd coming of the Bulls, Scottie Pippen identified the addition of Dennis Rodman as the turning point: "Before Rodman came, I didn't know how things would turn out, he gave us different look, a toughness we didn't have, and I knew we were unstoppable."
People are seduced by highlights: scoring, power players, dazzling offense. But those things don't win championships, just ask Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash and LaBron James.
Thanks for the read. Rodman is a great player if you already have a great player. By himself he will not make a team better, but he will help a superstar reach the team goals by doing the little things and doing them very well. Let us not forget Rodman has never played on a team that didn't have one of the NBA's 50 greatest on it and Chicago had two. He is a very unique and valuable player, but not a hall of famer.
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