'The Last Dance' Episode 10: Dennis Rodman was busy with WWE when his team was sweating it out for Utah Jazz game
Spoilers for 'The Last Dance' Episode 10
Dennis Rodman was the bad boy of the Chicago Bulls. Adding to his list of epic controversies was the time during the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz where he left in the middle of the series to make it to WWE match. This was something the team didn't see coming. He was seen hanging out with Hulk Hogan and smoking a cigar while the rest of the team was sweating it out during practice. It shouldn't come as a surprise though. This wasn't the "Worm's" first escapade.
Despite this stunt, there wasn't much of a setback for the Bulls as they went to clinch what was a nail-biting series. Rodman too was having great finals. According to Fansided, he registered one block per game and more than one steal per game. He also had two games with double-digit rebounds and sizzled in a reduced role as Toni Kukoc was getting more time on the floor. This was exactly what happened in 1997. Rodman wanted to blow off some steam and he jetted off to Vegas for some partying.
It was a funny sight to see Rodman and Hogan whack some fighters with chairs and having a laugh about it. But when he was back on the court, Rodman played as a man possessed. Much of the credit for this must be attributed to coach Phil Jackson, who defended Rodman in front of the media and also had an innate knowledge about his team and their mindsets. While much of the opposition had looked at this as a way to gloat at Rodman, the Bulls were actually planning to make their dream of a second three-peat a reality.
The best summation of Rodman's play was that he was the "f**k-up" person. Any forward leaps up to shoot, Rodman would switch that deadly defense on and prevent that dunk from happening. It didn't matter to him how he did it, but he did. And for all the flamboyance, the earrings and the showman attitude, Rodman was a rockstar who was always there for the Bulls. In short, a team man who, for some reason, failed to accept he was one. Rodman was released after that epic '98 season.
