?The Bulls Know About Distractions?: Dennis Rodman Found a Home in Chicago Despite Throwing Tantrums in His First Game

Dennis Rodman’s entry to the Chicago Bulls was as memorable and a milestone as his whole tenure with the franchise. It probably shaped his equation with his coach and the team as well. Tim Keown from ESPN gave an account of the same in 2020. “The Bulls know about distractions, and they know how to play through them“, said Dennis Rodman.

The five-time NBA NBA champion once talked about his team and his coach and commented on how they overcame distractions. He gave major points to then-head coach Phil Jackson. Rodman added, “He’s not worried about distractions, because look who he has been coaching all these years“.

How Dennis Rodman found his feet with the Bulls

The first time that Dennis Rodman played for the Chicago Bulls was in 1995 for an exhibition game. He also got a technical that night after throwing a tantrum against a replacement referee. ESPN observed that Rodman’s first response was to see how the coach responded to the whole scene.

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Phil Jackson certainly had his plate full with a great team. Just as any coach worth his salt, he had to manage different personalities. And to anyone who has ever known about Dennis Rodman, he is undoubtedly a unique personality. Notably, Jackson simply laughed it off. “It was the Jackson Special: laid back, trusting, his benevolent aura beaming its way into Rodman’s fragile psyche“, Keown wrote.

This may have been a turning point for Rodman, who had possibly not had a great relationship with his coach during his time with his previous team, the San Antonio Spurs. However, he thrived under Phil Jackson and went on to win multiple championships with the Bulls.

How Phil Jackson became a father figure to Rodman

In his induction to the Hall of Fame, Dennis Rodman credited Phil Jackson as one of his four male role models in his life. Before he was traded to the Bulls, the franchise was aware of an important element regarding the player.

GQ noted in 2021 that “in order to get the full value of Dennis Rodman on the court, they had to let him be who he was off of it.”

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Phil Jackson seemingly didn’t sweat the small stuff and let Rodman party and even miss game film sessions. Jackson trusted the seven-time rebounding champion to work out every day and not micro-manage his every move. This may have paved the way for Rodman to lay the bricks and set up a historical partnership with Jackson and the Bulls.

Do you think Phil Jackson played an important role in forming the NBA legend that Dennis Rodman is today? Let us know in the comments below.