NBA legend Dennis Rodman is iconic for his “Bad Boy” antics on and off the court. The five-time NBA champion was an enigma who did whatever he wanted however he wanted and presumably, continues to do so. Fans loved this about ‘The Worm’?and there was always a huge spotlight wherever he went. However, the outgoing Rodman was a once very shy young man while growing up with his sisters in a household headed by his single mother. He also made a startling claim regarding his family dynamic which shocked many fans.

Rodman’s father, Phil Rodman, left the family when Rodman was only three years old. So his mother Shirley had to take care of the three children while working two jobs. As a result, Rodman became very attached to his mother in the absence of any other guardian in the household.

Dennis Rodman once made a shocking claim against his mother

In 1988, a Sports Illustrated article talked about the various aspects of Dennis Rodman with various interviews of him, his friends and family. The article touched on Rodman’s childhood and how he was raised by his mother in Dallas.

“I felt shut out not having a father, always having to look out for myself,” Rodman once said. “And my mother just didn’t have enough time to be with me. She was always more interested in my sisters.”

Even though Rodman and his mother were very close, he felt his mother did not spend enough time with him. On the contrary, he indicated that she loved his sisters more than life. As the only male member in the family, Dennis felt a little left out while growing up. Furthermore, Rodman’s mother once even kicked him out of the house due to his unruly behavior.

Rodman was just 5’9″ when he finished high school. He barely made the bench on the basketball team and quit soon after. The Chicago Bulls legend then worked at an airport as a janitor where he reportedly stole over 50 watches. He was caught and had to spend 18 hours in jail. However, since he gave back all the watches, the case was dropped.

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Then with an unbelievable growth spurt, Rodman shot up to 6’8″. He then tried his hands at basketball again and landed a two-year scholarship at Cooke County Junior College in Gainesville, Texas. However, he quit because he did not think he could make it academically.

Rodman grabbed his final chance

Dennis Rodman then came back to Dallas. He stated that his mother had given him money to look for a job. However, he had spend it hanging out with his friends. This had angered Shirley who then asked Rodman to leave the house.

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The two-time DPOY received a final opportunity that changed his life forever. In 1983, he received a scholarship to play for Southeastern Oklahoma State. He was 22 at the time and was convinced this could be his final shot at a better life. Rodman grabbed the opportunity with both of his hands and this led him to the NBA.