To hear a professional athlete say he "hates" money is an aberration. After all, making a lot of money is often what motivates athletes to literally shed blood, sweat and tears to reach big leagues like the NBA. And in today's landscape, in which the league's best players regularly make at least $50 million per season, it's just downright ridiculous for somebody to not like having big, fat bank accounts.
But then again, Dennis Rodman was always the exception and never the rule. And during one notorious trip to Sin City, he had no problem losing $35,000, saying he "hated money" and that losing it was his unusual way of feeling normal.
At the same time, if there was a silver lining to having a lot of money, it was being able to help the needy, which the Worm did a lot of. In fact, he didn't need cameras to document his generosity. He helped whoever he could, wherever he was.
Rodman's early life is well-documented. Born in New Jersey but raised in Dallas after his father abandoned them, Rodman spent most of his childhood tethered to his mother, Shirley, and two sisters.
He obviously didn't have much and worked odd jobs to make ends meet, including janitorial and busboy work. After going through so many hardships, including not knowing where he could find his next meal, Rodman related to what many in America were going through: homelessness and hunger. So when a homeless woman approached him in Chicago, asking for a little money to buy food, the Worm didn't hesitate to help out.
"I had $250 in my pocket, and I gave it all to her," Rodman revealed .
Before anyone criticizes Rodman for only handing the woman $250, especially since he was a millionaire, consider this: it was all he had at that moment, yet he gave it all away.
"If I had $1,000, I would have given her that, too. There are a lot of people out there that are more worthy of this money. People without houses. People living on the street. I was lucky to come upon this, what I have now," he continued.
Rodman was a man of the people, and during his time in Detroit, he regularly made trips downtown to hand out wads of cash.
"I gave a lot of money to the homeless this year. I go to downtown Detroit and give out $50 bills or $100 bills. You can't help everybody, but you can help some people. I make millions now. What's $250?" he explained.
While talking inside a restaurant, Rodman saw a young man cleaning tables and taking away the dishes; the sight brought him back to simpler times back in Dallas, when he worked as a busboy, happy to bring home his fair share of tips.
"I worked at Baby Doe's Restaurant in Dallas. Busing tables. I made a lot of money back then, bringing home $60 a night, sometimes more than that," Dennis remarked.
Rodman earned $26,965,000 in salaries through the course of his career—a far cry from the $60 he brought home after working a long shift at the restaurant. However, he harkened to those days when life wasn't as demanding.
"I loved those days then. There was no worry, no pressure. Hang out with your friends and have a lot of fun," he said. "Now, you grow up faster and do things you never imagined doing. Now, I'm in a situation where the only time I enjoy myself is playing basketball."
It might not seem like it, considering his shenanigans, but Rodman had a pure soul underneath all those tattoos and dyed hair. He didn't want the fame or the money that came with it. He just wanted to hoop and help other people, which gave him more fulfillment than seeing his name up in lights.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
