“I don’t hate the guy that brought me into this world,” in 2012, the Bulls icon was clear on his stance when talking about his father. Dennis Rodman’s journey from a troubled youth in the housing projects of Dallas to becoming a 5x NBA champion is a journey that moved many in the 1990s. Yet, beneath the fancy hair colors and outrageous antics of a ‘Bad Boy Piston’ lay a deep-seated pain, the absence of a father who abandoned the family when Dennis was just a child. Now, with his mother passing away, it’s time to revisit the time when Rodman had a meeting with his father, Philander Rodman Jr. that no one had ever thought would happen.

In 2006, Philander tried to meet his son when ‘the Worm’ was in Manila, Philippines, to play a game. However, with Rodman denying the meeting, it never took place. Nevertheless, things changed just a few years later. Back in 2012, the NBA ‘Alumni’ team starring Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Mitch Richmond went to the Philippines, to play an All-Star Challenge Game and ultimately won against the former top professional Philippine Basketball Association players. It was there that the NBA star met his father. “I’ve been trying to meet him for years. And then last night, boom, I met him. I was really, really happy and very surprised,” Rodman’s father said after the short meeting.

Philander was enlisted in the US Air Force and had also fought in the Vietnam War. He abandoned Rodman, his mother, and his two sisters, Debra and Kim, when the rebounding force was just three years old. He had been living in the Philippines for more than 50 years and is said to have been fathering 29 kids. Although the time spent with his son was only three minutes, Rodman Jr. was happy about it. “I really, really felt good,” Philander reiterated.

Philander had even tried to explain to his son that he didn’t want to abandon the family, but his duties in the army kept him from spending time with the family. The night of the Alumni Game was the first time that Rodman had acknowledged his father. Just a few minutes before the game ended, Rodman had grabbed a microphone and announced to the crowd that his father was present there. As the crowd applauded on hearing the announcement, Philander Rodman could be seen emerging from the crowd wearing a red baseball cap. “He accepted me as his father. That’s the first time he ever called me his father,” said Philander to the reporters during a post game interview.

Rodman’s father is the owner of a burger joint in the Philippines by the name of ‘Rodman’s Rainbow Obamaburger’ in Northern Angeles City. His restaurant menu had different colors of buns and fries to resemble his son’s multicolor hair. This meeting after 42 years shows that even troubled relationships can turn out to be good after some time. However, his relationship with his late mother was not exactly all flowers either.

Dennis Rodman’s relationship with his mother

Dennis Rodman’s relationship with his father had taken a toll on his childhood and also on his relationship with his mother, Shirley Rodman. While she provided him with unconditional love and support, their bond was also strained by a number of factors, including Shirley’s own personal struggles.

During his Hall of Fame speech in 2011, Rodman talked about the lack of appreciation that he got from his mother. “My mother rarely ever hugged me or hugged my siblings,” said Rodman. He also stated that his mother had to take up three odd jobs to support the family and had even kicked him out of the house one time. 

However, Rodman had also specified that he was not exactly a good kid and was grateful that his mother didn’t stop supporting the family like his father. Shirley’s death brings this complicated history into sharp focus. As the basketball world mourns her passing, hopefully, the Chicago Bulls legend will find peace soon.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger