?The Reason We Get Along Is, I?m the Crazy One?: Dennis Rodman, Who Didn?t Speak to Michael Jordan Off Court, Once Befriended His ?Lifeline?

Dennis Rodman was one of the toughest athletes to handle for any team management in the NBA. The five-time NBA champ was recognized as an outlaw who often ended up having heated arguments with his teammates. Thus, it was very hard for a teammate to actually become Rodman’s friend. However, the two-time All-Star’s former San Antonio Spurs teammate, Jack Haley, managed to cross the barrier that many could not.

Dennis Rodman was not known for being involved with his teammates. He helped Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen win their second three-peat with the Chicago Bulls from 1996-1998. However, reports suggest that Rodman and Jordan never shared an off-court relationship during their NBA days. Rodman was often found sitting alone in public places.

Dennis Rodman got along with Jack Haley

?Once, his former San Antonio Spurs teammate Terry Cummings saw Dennis eating alone at a steakhouse. Cummings was with his family and he invited Rodman to join them. However, the Worm did not even look up to respond to his teammate. Things were no different when Haley came across Rodman. The 1996 NBA champ invited Dennis Rodman for dinner while they were in a hotel lift. But, the seven-time rebounding champ got out of the lift without responding to Jack Haley’s offer.?

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Fortunately, Dennis seemed to realize that Haley was different than most. The duo eventually got along and Haley became Rodman’s ‘lifeline’. They started to spend a lot of time together and Rodman even requested the team management to get them a two-bedroom suite on the road.

Jack Haley talked about his friendship with Dennis Rodman during a 1995 interview with the LA Times. Haley reckoned that people thought Rodman and he got along because they were both different than other people. He added,?“If you talk to most guys on the team, they’ll tell you the reason we get along is, I’m the crazy one.”

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Rodman could relate to Haley’s difficulties during an unfortunate career. Hence, he got along with Jack, even when he could not connect with his other teammates. Rodman has often found it hard to work with his teammates and his career-best performances came when he was at the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Rodman could not hold on to the good days for too long and retired a couple of seasons after he left the Bulls in 1998.