“He Had the Gun. He Was Going to Do It”: 23 Years After Saving 5x NBA Champion Dennis Rodman from Taking His Own Life, Massive NBA Voice Broke His Silence
Dennis Rodman is widely known for his eccentric and charismatic persona. However, that was only the case after his days as a Bad Boy. Notably, when ‘The Worm’ entered the NBA, he was pretty much a quiet star. Coming from a rough childhood, Rodman valued family and felt that the Detroit Piston would stay together forever. However, when father figure and head coach, Chuck Daly, stepped down something snapped within Rodman and he went MIA. No one knew where the defensive anchor was. In fact, Rodman even came close to taking his own life. However, iconic NBA personality, Craig Sager, picked up on his intentions, tracked him down in a strip club and talked him out of the decision.
The incident as described by Craig Sager
During a 2016 interview, the sideline reporter looked back at that incident with the two-time Defensive Player of The Year. He said: “He had the gun. He was going to do it. I told him how stupid that would be.”
Daly’s resignation had hit ‘The Worm’ deep as he considered him as one of his father figures and shared a true bond with him. The 61-year-old has been vocal about his battles with mental health in the past and this was probably rock bottom for him. Based on Sager’s words, the NBA world may thank their stars that he was in the right place at the right time.
Craig Sager saved Dennis Rodman
Sager’s speech would save an eventual Hall of Famer. While Rodman’s personality changed and got him in trouble frequently, his story had many more chapters. His most iconic time came with the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan. ‘The Worm’ added three more championships to his tally and retired as arguably one of the best defensive players of all time.
As for the legendary reporter, he continued to remain a memorable face for the NBA fanbase. Craig Sager was probably best known for his segments with Boston Celtics great Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket would constantly criticize his suits and make for giggles. Unfortunately, in 2016, Sager passed away after a battle with leukemia. The NBA world was deeply saddened by his passing.