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“Keep Working and Pay for Those Damn Ba***rds”: Dennis Rodman, Who Called Out His Father for Getting Rich, Once Blurted Out His Bitterness with Fatherhood

Published 08/31/2022, 12:00 PM EDT

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Dennis Rodman once revealed his honest take on fatherhood in an interview. The Chicago Bulls legend, who was abandoned by his father during infancy, had a very unique perspective on the subject. In other words, Dennis Rodman decided to highlight the difficulties that come with being a father.

Incidentally, Rodman had a very rocky relationship with his father, Philander Rodman Jr., while he was still alive. Philander Rodman was a Vietnam war veteran and resided in the Philippines since the seventies. In July 2020, he passed away at the age of 79.

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The senior Rodman had fathered 29 children with 16 different women in his lifetime. As a result, his actions as a father were construed as irresponsible by many, including Dennis Rodman. The latter displayed his apathy for his father on multiple occasions.

Dennis Rodman on being a father of four kids

Meanwhile, Rodman once opened up about his own experience being a father of four kids. “Well either way you gotta pay for ’em“, he told the interviewer somewhat bitterly. “Gotta keep working and pay for those damn ba***rds.”

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Just kidding,” the Chicago Bulls legend added afterwards. “I care about my kids.”

In a different interview, Rodman once explained, “I don’t know how to be a father. But I know how to handle kids-that’s a different thing.”

Dennis Rodman didn’t have a father growing up. Therefore, he never had the example of a good father before him. However, the five-time world champion still tries to fulfill his responsibilities as a father to the best of his abilities.

Later on in the interview, Rodman revealed that his kids are still oblivious to his global fame. However, they are aware of his job as a basketball player. Nevertheless, the seven-time NBA rebounding champion, has certainly done a decent job of being a good role model for his kids.

Rodman’s relationship with his father

For the most part, Rodman wasn’t very fond of his father for obvious reasons. However, the two did reconcile to an extent in 2012.

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During an exhibition game in Manila, Rodman met his father. He didn’t seem particularly excited about the encounter. But he did acknowledge his father’s presence.

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On the other hand, Rodman’s father had always celebrated his son’s success in the NBA. Often, he would be seen in Bulls jerseys to show his support for Rodman.

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Written by:

Satagni Sikder

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Satagni Sikder is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and has been following the NBA since 2017. Moreover, he supports the Dallas Mavericks, and unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic is his favorite player.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar