The Worm

How Dennis Rodman was the wildcard that the Bulls needed.

Throughout the off-season, the team at Bulls Confidential is going to reveal our picks for the top 25 best players in Chicago Bulls franchise history. We are measuring overall impact on the organization, community, and how they impacted their team. Follow along on Twitter by searching #BC25.

25. Mickey Johnson

24. Guy Rodgers

23. Orlando Woolridge

22. Charles Oakley

21. Taj Gibson

20. Bob Boozer

19. Elton Brand

18. Ben Gordon

17. Tom Boerwinkle

16. Reggie Theus

15. Toni Kukoc

14. Horace Grant

13. Kirk Hinrich

12. Joakim Noah

11. Chet Walker

10. Dennis Rodman

I’ll be honest. I’ve eaten a worm before.

It was weird, slimy, crawled all the way down, and fought till the bitter end.

All of those attributes can accurately describe the play of NBA hall-of-famer, Dennis Rodman.

The man is and was, one of the strangest, toughest, and athletic NBA players to ever put on a jersey. Since he was an undersized forward, Rodman had to make his presence felt through his effort on the court. And boy, did he ever make his presence felt, his opponents had no choice.

His story is quite inspiring, he made his way to Cooke County College where he eventually flunked out, and then transfered to Southeastern Oklahoma State University where he was an All-American. He did enough to impress the Pistons, and was picked in the second round in the 1986 NBA Draft.

Rodman spent seven seasons in Detroit, where he won two titles, Defensive Player of the Year, and was a perfect bad boy in Detroit. One of the most important figures in Dennis’ life was Pistons’ coach Chuck Daly. He was a father-figure to Rodman, encouraging him along, and turning him into a defensive stud. When Daly resigned from his position in 1992, Rodman demanded a trade.

He spent two seasons in San Antonio, and that’s when Rodman’s personality really came out. Whether it was dying his hair, or being in a relationship with Madonna, Rodman seemed to be unleashed. Alongside David Robinson, things got pretty interesting.

After two seasons, Rodman was traded to Chicago, where his madness was met with mindfulness. Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen had the responsibility to reign Dennis in, and win a championship. They were successful — winning three championship, one for each season Rodman was around in Chicago.

The Worm was the league leader in rebounds per game for seven straight seasons, ranks first in offensive, defensive, and total rebounding percentage in franchise history, and won three championships in Chicago.

Rodman is one of my favorite players of all-time, just because he has always been himself. His ability to put forth maximum effort, get under the skin of his opponent, and outwork everyone on the floor are some of the reasons why he was so great.

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