He’s often cited as one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA and was a key member of the Chicago Bulls’ record-breaking 72-10 season. In fact, most Bulls fans would say that he was integral to it. At the time he was the best rebounder in the NBA and with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the same team, the Bulls were practically unbeatable.
Yet despite his obvious prowess on the court, Dennis Rodman is hardly ever remembered as the serious ball player that he was. In most cases, he’s remembered as one of the most eccentric characters in the world of sport, and with good reason.
From trying to bring about world peace to wearing a wedding dress, here are those iconic moments that truly represent the strange and wonderful life of Dennis Rodman.
That wedding dress
He wore it to a press conference for the release of his autobiography and told the world that he was attracted to anybody and everybody. He also told us that his plan was to marry himself which seemed a perfectly reasonable statement given his unusual antics at the time.
Whether he wore it as a fashion statement or not, it turned out to be an inspired move as his book went on to become a best seller. He allegedly also received a hefty paycheck from the dress designer. So, all told, it wasn’t such a crazy thing to do after all.
Trying for a baby with Madonna
At the time, Rodman’s whirlwind romance with Madonna was just another celebrity hookup. They were both wild and free spirits who seemed to enjoy the limelight. Nothing much to see here. But a few years ago, Rodman alleged that Madonna had actually offered him a cool $20 million to be the father of her child. According to the man himself, Madge wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship but was quite happy to have his child.
We’re not sure what’s stranger here, the fact that Madonna made the offer or the fact that Rodman told everyone about it years later.
Kicking the cameraman
If you’re taking photos or filming at a sports game, then you’re often in the line of fire. This is particularly true for cameramen and women at basketball games who tend to sit behind the basket. So when Rodman fell into a cameraman, it wasn’t much of a shock. However, the fact that he then lashed out at the cameraman and kicked him in a quite sensitive area was certainly unexpected.
Rodman remained unapologetic, was fined $200,000 and received an 11 game ban. It was one of the worst moments in his entire NBA career. Or maybe that was when he headbutted a referee?
Either way, he was prone to these erratic moments.
Spitting at a wrestler
The WWE is known for being quite the melting pot of crazy behavior but when Rodman entered the ring as Rodzilla, we didn’t know what we were in for.
Sports stars joining WWE is nothing new but Rodman was special so he needed to make a statement once he got into the ring. This was done by spitting at his opponent. Quite why he thought this would be a good idea is anyone’s guess but hey, it’s Rodman, right?
Winning a Razzie for some awful acting
While Jordan had the wholesome caper that was Space Jam, Rodman was moving into B-movie territory with Double Take. Starring alongside Jean Claude Van Damme, Rodman’s performance was so awful that it had people wondering if he was acting badly on purpose.
Whatever the case, his short-lived acting career won him several Razzies for worst actor, worst newcomer, and worst on-screen couple. It’s quite the horror show and kind of worth watching.
Singing Karaoke with a dictator
This is without a doubt the most bizarre aspect of Rodman’s life and that’s really saying something. Rodman became involved with North Korean basketball as an advisor and his friendship with Kim Jong Un seems to have sprouted from there.
The Worm has stated that while he doesn’t see the dictator as a close personal friend, he spends a lot of time with him when in North Korea. They sing karaoke, ride horses, and go skiing. Yep, he sings songs with Kim Jong Un.
Like we said earlier, Rodman is a legend for so many reasons. And if he truly can help to save us all in the future, then perhaps he should sing as many songs as he likes with a certain North Korean.