Dennis Rodman always seemed to show up for his Chicago Bulls teammates, even when chaos — often of his own making — swirled around them.
Former Bulls player Steve Kerr captured that in 2012. He said that everybody loved Rodman because they saw how much they "meant to him."
Rodman's loyalty evidently ran deep for his NBA teammates. Not necessarily, though, for his own family. Stories paint that picture, and one comes from his daughter, Trinity Rodman. She laid it bare during her December 2024 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.
Trinity was named U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2021. She scored three goals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the United States win gold.
Nowadays, she — a 5'8" forward for Washington Spirit — seems on top of her game. Still, wounds from childhood cut deep. And based on what she said, that's completely understandable.
Speaking with host Alex Cooper, Rodman recalled that her mother, Michelle Moyer, filed for divorce from the basketball icon when she was around two years old. It happened in 2004 but dragged on until 2012. Meanwhile, court battles over money continued. At first, Rodman sent enough cash for rent and basics. That stopped once the split was finalized.
From then on, they got just enough for rent. Barely. Meanwhile, they developed resilience shaped by hard times. And a big part of that was her mother.
Michelle turned desperation into something kids could handle. She, for instance, kept their spirits up with waffles and hot tub time before school drop-offs in the morning.
"My mom was really good at making every situation seem smoother than it actually was," Trinity reflected, tying it to the ways parents try to protect their kids.
While Dennis seemed mostly absent as Trinity and her siblings were growing up — apart from unsteady financial support — they tried living with him at his Newport, California, beach house.
However, instead of family harmony and making up for lost time, it turned into the chaos that defined much of Rodman's storied Hall of Fame playing days.
"We tried living with him. He's having parties 24/7, he's bringing random bi—ches in," she recalled.
The kids were young and probably didn't fully grasp it. Her mom soon saw enough, though. Moyer eventually pulled them out to spare them the embarrassment and the nonstop party scene.
Neighbors reportedly complained about Rodman's wild parties at that house. Police visits were frequent. As for Trinity, contact with their father soon shrank to once or twice a year. Arguments often hit the same notes. Her mother pleaded for financial help. Her father retorted that he was only used for money, having earned $27 million in total NBA salary.
Even when Dennis helped financially, Trinity said it wasn't what they wanted. Instead of cash for simple things like In-N-Out with friends after school, the Bulls legend needed to have his say.
"He (Rodman) wouldn't give us money to do that; he needed to have the control of bringing us shopping and swiping his own card," she recalled.
Even today, at 22, Trinity still struggles to understand Dennis' actions, past and present. She told Cooper, "To justify his brain is so hard." Her recollections make that pretty clear.
Related: "The FBI, they check my phones" - Dennis Rodman on why he's forced to use five flip phones
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
