Dennis Rodman Now: From Homeless To NBA Legend
In 14 NBA seasons, Dennis Rodman played 911 games, scored a whopping 6683 points, and grabbed 11,954 rebounds leading to 7.3 points. He is easily one of the best basketball stars in the world, raking in awards after awards and points after points.
Dennis is a bizarre bad boy who dyed his hair, has eccentric tattoos, interesting piercings and lead an unorthodox lifestyle. He is regarded as one of a kind, as a basketball player and as an individual.
On the other hand, Dennis Rodman has also gotten into his fair share of troubles over the years. More about the time he was homeless, his remarkable feat as a basketball player and Dennis Rodman now.
Dennis Rodman Now Is Far Away From His Devastating Early Years
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He grew up in a poor household with his mother, Shirley and sisters, Debra and Kim. His father left the family and settled in the Philippines. More often than not, Rodman was left alone to fend for himself while getting bullied by his neighbourhood boys.
After graduating from high school, Dennis’ mother told him to get a job or get out of the house. Unfortunately, things got worse for Dennis.
“She kicked me out. She changed the locks. I had, like, a garbage bag full of clothes, I left the house and I just sat on the steps down at the apartment complex with nowhere to go, I went to my friend’s house. He said, ‘You can stay in the backyard, on the couch.’
“Every day when I wake up, I go to the car wash, try to make some extra money. Or I go to the 7-Eleven, try to fold boxes, throw bottles away, stuff like that, for five bucks a day.”
But, Dennis Rodman played basketball every day which led him to a summer league and Southeast Oklahoma.
He Found Out Very Late That He Is The Eldest Of His Father’s 29 Children…
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His broken childhood followed him even after he set foot into professional basketball. He was estranged from his mother by the time he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and he had long forgotten his father, Philander Rodman.
Surprisingly, his father showed up in 1997 when Dennis was playing for the Chicago Bulls.
“We were playing the Utah Jazz, and I was late to practice, yep, me, late to practice. I was driving in the gate to the Berto Center and this black guy runs up to my truck and says, ‘I need to talk to you. I need to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Dude, I’m late for practice.’ And he said, ‘I just want to let you know that I’m your father.’”
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Naturally, Dennis didn’t believe the stranger but as it turned out he was indeed Dennis Rodman’s long-gone father.
“He had 16 wives, and, I think, 29 kids. And I was his first one. Somebody told me that. I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ I was so used to not having a father after 37 years, I’m thinking, ‘You know, it’s a little late. It’s a little late.'”
Forget His Father, What Is The Deal About Him Being A Good Father To His Children?
Dennis Rodman was married and separated three times. His was first married to Annie Bakes who he had a daughter named, Alexis Rodman. He, then married model Carmen Electra for a few short months before getting divorced.
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In the same year, they got divorced, Dennis met Michelle Moyer and the couple had two children named Dennis Rodman Jr., and Trinity Rodman. Regretfully, just like his marriages, his relationship with his kids was not so great in the past.
“I lie to myself a lot about s—. I’m a great dad. I love my kids. And then I have to go home and sit there and beat myself up because I’m just telling myself all these lies.
“We all have demons. I’ve had plenty. Alcohol is one of them. Everyone knows that. But I think the only major demon I have right now is trying to convince myself that I am a good dad. That’s the worst one for me.
“And it’s so hard for me for some reason. It’s very hard for me to break out of that cycle, you know. You feel like it’s too late. It’s one of those things where I never had anyone ever want [to love me].”
Children Of Dennis Rodman Now…
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Amazingly, despite the lack of fatherly love, his children seem to be doing rather well for themselves.
Alexis Rodman suffered quite a bit with behaviour issues as a result of her parents’ issues. However, she grew out of it and is now the proud mommy of a baby boy named Vincent.
Interestingly, Dennis Rodman Jr. took to basketball and plays forward on his school’s basketball team. He is currently studying at Washington State University.
Dennis’ youngest child, Trinity Rodman is also an athlete. She is talented in soccer and had previously played with the under-20 women’s national team. She is expecting to join Washington State University this year.
Dennis Rodman Now Owes His Life To Someone Important
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Even though his childhood was treacherous, the Basket Hall of Famer (he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011) had someone to watch his back when things got tough. Dennis was guided by veteran Pistons team coach Chuck Daly.
Another great figure who was constant in his life was Pistons’ All-Star point guard Isiah Thomas.
They knew all about his vulnerability and immaturity. Hence, they acted as his fatherly figures so much so that Dennis would go to them when he was lonely or needed advice.
“When I was alone in my apartment and there was nobody there to be with me, I’d always call Chuck Daly or Isiah Thomas.”
From Suicidal To Winning Championships In Two Short Years
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In 1993, the NBA star faced his lowest moment in life. After a painful divorce with his first wife, he was found with a loaded gun with the intention of killing himself. Fortunately, the police found him and prevented him from committing suicide.
In 1995, Dennis Rodman joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. They won three straight championships with the Bulls. Over time, he gained publicity and the public loved him for his stunts.
Fun Fact: He once wore a wedding dress to promote a book.
“Before I came to Chicago, there was a [billboard] of Michael and Scottie. And when I got there, it was Michael, Scottie and Dennis. Then, a few months later, it became just me. So, for that one year, maybe six months, I was bigger [than Jordan].”
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Another Fun Fact: Rodman: For Better or Worse is a movie based on the life and career of Dennis Rodman now and his past.
His Interesting Connections…
Dennis Rodman now has his own long list of influential and famous friends and acquaintances. One of them is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. They used to go to strip clubs together.
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Apparently, he also has connections with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He first went to North Korea in 2013 and called Kim ‘a friend for life’. He returned to North Korea on several occasions and Dennis Rodman told that,
“My purpose is to go over there and try to see if I can keep bringing sports to North Korea.”
Fun Fact: Despite having influential connections, Dennis Rodman’s net worth is just $500,000 and way less compared to the net worth of other famous athletes such as LeBron James, Anthony Joshua, and Tony Bellew.