During the 1999-00 season, the Dallas Mavericks were so desperate to snap a nine-year playoff drought that they brought in Dennis Rodman midseason. In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to sign the talented but notorious rebounding machine. He never really bought in and reportedly didn't even bother to associate with his teammates.
The Mavericks had to set up a separate area for Rodman in the locker room and use a different room on the road. Hilariously enough, an assistant coach even saw the enigmatic forward staying inside then-coach Don Nelson 's locker room before a game against the Phoenix Suns .
"I came back in (right before a road game in Phoenix) just to check what was going on in the (coach's) locker room and to see Nellie, and there's Nellie sitting in a chair, two or three feet away from Rodman in a towel and naked because he doesn't want to be in a room with the players," said former Mavs assistant Scott Roth.
Rodman's stint in Dallas lasted just a month and 12 games (15 if you include the games he didn't suit up for or was suspended). It was certainly a forgettable one, although some of his teammates viewed it as memorable, albeit for the wrong reasons.
While they recalled that Rodman was never rude to anyone, the five-time NBA champion just kept to himself. Per Greg Buckner, he expected Rodman to be a loudmouth who wanted all the attention but was the "complete opposite." Meanwhile, Bruno Sundov never had a conversation with him and heard "maybe 20 words" from him throughout his Mavericks tenure.
It would have been fine if Rodman had made a positive impact on winning. But that was hardly the case. In his 12 appearances, the Mavs went just 3-9. The top brass hoped he could help them rise from the 10th seed in the West when they acquired him. However, they remained stuck and even fell to 11th place briefly during the Dennis Rodman era.
Interestingly, the Mavs were able to piece it together after letting "The Worm" go. They went 16-6 the rest of the way, although they still failed to reach the playoffs by four victories.
If you're wondering whose fault it was to conduct the Rodman experiment, well, Mark Cuban may have been to blame. The billionaire had purchased a majority stake in the franchise a month before the roster move and wanted to make a splash by signing the Dallas native.
Nelson, who had also served as the Mavs' general manager, could have nipped it in the bud by advising Cuban against pushing through with the decision. However, he probably thought that he could work his magic with "Dennis the Menace." What he and Cuban didn't know was that Rodman didn't really want to be there.
On the bright side, it was a learning experience for Cuban, even if it was probably an expensive one. The Mavericks also presumably learned to band together afterward, as they followed up a strong finish to the 1999-00 campaign with 12 straight playoff appearances.
There was no need to give a washed-up diva special treatment. All they had to do was find the right supporting cast for Dirk Nowitzki and let the German superstar wreak havoc in the league.
Related: Dennis Rodman never regretted not shaking hands with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
