“This Is Not My Greatest Achievement”: 5X NBA Champion Dennis Rodman Was “Crying Like a Baby” After Historic Record for the Pistons in 1992

Dennis Rodman won five NBA championships in his career. Two of the championships he won came with Detroit Pistons in the last 80s. While he tasted more success with the Chicago Bulls, winning a three-peat, he found his form with the Pistons. It was at the Pistons that he reached his peak and became one of the best defenders in the league.

He continues to cherish the memories from his Piston days, when he joined as a 25-year-old rookie. At one point, he got emotional after breaking a 20-year-old Pistons record held by Bob Lanier.

With the kind of performance she had in his rookie season with the Pistons, everyone was certain that Rodman was a special player. Moreover, by the end of his second season, he was averaging 11.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Later, he went on to become a key member of the ‘Bad Boys Pistons’, which reached three consecutive NBA Finals and won both.

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Rodman spent the majority of his career with Detroit Pistons. He was so involved with the Pistons that he got emotional on some occasions. One incident that stands down is Rodman breaking into tears after breaking a 20-year-old Pistons record in 1992.

Dennis Rodman cried after breaking Bob Lanier’s 20-year-old Pistons record

On March 4, 1992, Rodman had one of the biggest rebounding performances of his career against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers side featured top players such as Micheal Williams and Chuck Person. However, Rodman was up to the task and ended up bagging 34 rebounds. While it isn’t an NBA record by a mile, 34 rebounds are a lot, and Rodman knew that. He managed to break Bob Lanier’s record and after the game ‘cried like a baby’.

“This is not my greatest achievement,” Rodman said later. “The greatest achievement of my life was turning my life around.”

But despite such an incredible performance, Rodman said that it wasn’t his ‘greatest achievement’. In fact, he added his greatest achievement was turning his ‘life around.’

Indeed, Rodman faced a lot of struggles to make it to the NBA. However, his hard work and perseverance helped him achieve his dream. He later went on to play for the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. He played for some of the biggest teams of that time alongside legends such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Former Pistons coach Chuck Daly showered praise on Dennis Rodman

Rodman had worked with Chuck Daly during his time with the Detroit Pistons. Chuck was the coach of the Pistons during their golden era and led them to the historic double. He had huge praise for Dennis Rodman even after leaving the Pistons. During his team with the New Jersey Nets, he admitted that he never saw a ‘player like him.’

“There’s never been an NBA player like him,” Chuck Daly said. “I love him. I’ll endorse him anywhere. As a coach you go to the wall for a guy like that. He’ll win you six to 10 games a year without even scoring.”

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That is the biggest praise an NBA player can get. Rodman clearly made a name for himself in Detroit. Fans still worship him for his contributions to the team at that time.

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