The 1996 Chicago Bulls go down as one of the most decorated rosters of all time. Unsurprisingly, that was the first year the NBA’s original bad boy, Dennis Rodman joined forces with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The trio would break the regular season record with 72 wins that season. Making it to the NBA finals, they would face off against a 64-18 Seattle SuperSonics. A team that was slowly on the come up and had serious potential to dethrone the kings. However, they came up against arguably one of the best ‘Big 3s’ in NBA history. Moreover, Rodman’s eccentric and troublesome games trapped one of the Sonics’ key rebounding stars, Frank Brickowski. But while the Worm and Brickowski were rivals on the court, it seems the story off the hardwood is completely different.

A 13-season NBA veteran, Frank Brickowski came into the NBA with experience playing overseas. He never achieved stardom or had a significant role with his teams. However, he did play an integral part in Seattle’s journey to the NBA finals in 1996. The former Milwaukee Bucks forward acted as a sharpshooter off the bench. Shooting over 40% from beyond the arc, he found himself matched up against Rodman in the NBA finals.

The Worm was a defensive expert winning the Defensive Player of The Year honors two times. However, apart from his relentless plays on defense, there were also his mind games. And on the biggest stage, he embarrassed Frank Brickowski by doing nothing. Years later, the two-time All-Star made a surprising revelation about their relationship in 2020.

Dennis Rodman embarrassed his own friend?

Frank Brickowski got to shooting free throws. This is where Rodman began his mind games riling up Frank Brickowski. Just staring at him from point-blank range, he would continue to get in the Sonics forward’s head all game long. Eventually, they would land up in a scuffle and the referees ejected Brickowski. The one incident made it seems like they were bitter rivals. However, as it turns out, they were friends for years according to the legendary rebounder.

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When asked if he ever saw the veteran after retiring, Dennis Rodman said, “You know, me and Frank Brickowski have been friends for a long time man.”

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The Worm claims his relationship with Brickowski reminds him of a good friend, Jack Haley. The NBA Hall of Famer said they would stay back after practice and play each other. Their duals would often end up in fights, but they remained close buddies. Viewing his Seattle rival, Rodman saw a version of himself in Frank Brickowski, but a bit more awkward as he told BTM Legends Corner.

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Nonetheless, in 1996, the Bulls would complete their perfect season by beating the Sonics in six games. Michael Jordan crowned the Finals MVP while Rodman led the postseason in rebounding. That was the first of Chicago’s three-peat that would eventually put them among the greatest dynasties of all time.