Dennis Rodman is a rather difficult character to decipher for many NBA fans. But on the other hand, he is also one of the best rebound players in the league’s history. In a 1998 interview, the Worm talked about his time with the Chicago Bulls and the difficulties he faced being the way he was. Furthermore, he shared why he was always tardy despite Michael Jordan’s complaints.

In 1998, the Chicago Bulls won their sixth championship. It was Dennis Rodman’s fifth and final victory in the NBA. Rodman joined the Bulls in 1995 and played with them for three seasons. The Rebound King is not an easy person to deal with. Whichever team he was in, he needed his space and wasn’t someone you could easily work with. The only two teams that were successful in understanding his quirks and efficiently utilize his talents were the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. However, even the most perceptive person can sometimes be at a loss, so did Michael Jordan.

During an interview in 1998, MJ called out Rodman and said, “Dennis has to maintain a certain focus. If anybody’s gonna miss practice and start skipping practices, it should be me or Scottie, we’ve been here the longest. As long as we’re here, he should be here. The last thing we need is some BS from Dennis.”

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However, Rodman had issues he needed to deal with. While Rodman accepted that he used to go late to practices, he had a reason to do so. He stated that he was too impatient to be sitting in the locker room and just wait. Instead, he wanted to get done with the workout session and get to the game.

Moreover, the Bulls legend claimed in the interview that the Bulls organization and his teammates have treated him exceedingly well and tried to understand his wants and needs. Subsequently, he also admitted that sometimes he does do things a little unconventionally that can irritate his teammates, including MJ.

Dennis Rodman felt the Bulls wouldn’t have won a championship without him

Dennis Rodman didn’t listen to anyone else when it came to his lifestyle. Moreover, he needed his space to do whatever he wanted. What does the team get in return for obliging Rodman’s wishes? Excellent on-court performance from the Rebound King. In the 1998 interview with Bob Costas, Rodman stated that during his time with the Chicago Bulls, he has been ‘well-behaved’ and done nothing that was out of the ordinary. Additionally, he said that if he was such a bad influence on the team then he wouldn’t have been there. Costas stated that if Rodman was not such an outstanding player then he wouldn’t have gotten the leeway from the Bulls.

“When people seem to tend that I’m not that important to a team if you take me away from this team, you got the great Michael Jordan, the great Scottie Pippen, the great coach Phil Jackson, do they still win a championship? I don’t think so,” responded Rodman.

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