Over the years, NBA has seen a lot of superstars, all-time greats, and Hall of Famers with different personalities and styles. However, very few stand out, be it their on-the-court efforts or off-the-court efforts, or even antics. One such personality that the fans will not forget for a long time is Chicago Bulls legend, Dennis Rodman. It is safe to say that the Hall of Famer is an enigma. He was one of the best defenders and rebounders ever and played a huge part of the Bulls’ title runs from 1996 to 1998.

However, Rodman faced punishments for his antics on and off the court. His teammates and coaches struggled to keep him in line. He would party all night before an important game. Because of his disciplinary issues, the NBA punished him with fines and suspensions now and then.

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In 1997, Dennis Rodman gave an interview to Playboy magazine. He answered a multitude of questions without any hesitation. And when a question about the NBA threatening him with serious punishment came up, he did not hold back.

Dennis Rodman did not fear the punishments from NBA

The interviewer asked what would Rodman do if the NBA gives him a lifetime ban for a serious offense like hitting a coach.?Rodman replied, “That won?t happen. They will never do that. I am too much of a hot commodity. The NBA won?t say goodbye to me. They need me. The NBA is a cripple and I am the crutch. Ha! They tell me to act like a typical athlete, but they are playing both sides of the fence. I get attention. They profit off me. But I am jiving those fogies and they can?t do a damn thing about it.”

The NBA commissioner at the time, the late David Stern, wouldn’t have been happy with that statement. However, Rodman’s statement has some truth to it. While superstars like Michael Jordan popularised the game with his on-court abilities, Rodman did it with the way he conducted himself. ‘The Worm’ did not care about others’ comments. He did whatever he wanted and wore whatever he wanted to wear.

The Hall of Famer was not afraid to be himself, and this made him very popular. But make no mistake, whenever called upon, he gave 100% to his team and teammates. He could guard every position in the game and racked up rebounds with ease.

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Even Michael Jordan, who held his teammates to high standards, would not bother Rodman. Because he knew he could count on Rodman when it was crunch time.