Chicago Bulls icon Dennis Rodman immediately wreaked havoc in the first game of the 1996-97 NBA season. The star power forward was slapped with a technical foul, not long after scoring the team's first basket in the brand new campaign.
The Worm shamelessly also flopped, got entangled with Boston Celtics big Frank Brickowski the entire game, and in the fourth quarter, almost punched an unknowing cameraman.
"That was a Dennis Rodman technical," said Rodman, after their 107-98 victory. "You have players slamming the ball and doing this and that, and they're making an example of me. But I keep bouncing back."
Winning his third NBA Championship a few months ago did not alter his ways. If any, Rodman had become extra cynical of the league, especially its referees. He felt a bucket of technical fouls was about to be showered on him in the brand-new season. Rodman believes the officials were out to turn him into their crash test dummy and discredit his successes.
"They're going to try to kick me out of games with technicals," Rodman said , via the Chicago Tribune. "That's (the referees') strategy. They want to calm Dennis Rodman down, not let him make a mockery of the league. (They think I) got lucky and won a championship, but I'm not going nuts."
Rodman was determined to stay on top of the basketball mountain after a few years of letdown. His bleak stint with the San Antonio Spurs hurt his stock so much that when the Bulls acquired him via trade, analysts thought he was going to destroy the team's chemistry. They predicted Michael Jordan 's celebrated comeback would fall flat in its face, all because of Dennis.
But lo and behold, Rodman remained calm for the most part. He played defense and crashed the boards en route to another NBA Championship. The most reviled basketball player in the league became one of its greatest winners.
Dennis promised to curtail his emotions to the best of his abilities. It was inevitable, however, that he would scream at his teammates for various reasons, but the Worm vowed not to blow things out of proportion.
"I was very controlled tonight, except with the cameraman. I'm going to be under control this year. If I scream and yell, no matter if it's at Phil or Tex (Winter) or anyone else on the team, I'll do it. But I'll be under control," he concluded.
Rodman may have underestimated his capacity for self-control. Later in the season, in February, the power forward infamously kicked a cameraman during a game in Minnesota . He was slapped with technicals, suspended for 11 games, fined $25,000, and paid a $200,000 settlement with the cameraman.
Amid all his unprofessional antics, the Bulls kept the faith. Phil Jackson bent the house rules for Dennis, knowing that The Worm was a unique individual with different needs. The team's patience and understanding paid off. At the end of the 1997 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls were crowned champions of the world once again.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
