Dennis Rodman had just three comrades snapping him out of the mean streets of Dallas. And how? A successful tryout his sisters arranged to enroll a 20-year-old Rodman with practically zero organized basketball knowledge into the Cooke County Junior College basketball team—staying just long enough to get noticed by Southeastern Oklahoma State assistant Lonn Reisman. Getting him to listen to Southeastern’s pitch only for him to enroll there the same day, Rodman never returned home after that. So, if you ask when his story began, it began with one person putting their foot down with a resounding “no.”

It was the day when his mother Shirley Rodman said “no” to her husband to follow him to the Philipines. Nothing wrong with it, right? But the ask was predicated on leaving her children behind, only Shirley wasn’t selling… Even if it meant her taking up odd jobs to keep her three children clothed and fed. Rodman was rebellious, but he craved attention from his mother, often refusing to go to nursery and jamming himself into the doorway of the bus. He simply refused to move.

His father, Philander Rodman Jr, eventually deserted the family. That too for 42 long years until Rodman agreed to meet him in 2012 after an exhibition game in Philipines. With his father gone, Rodman left to live with a white family on a cattle ranch in Bokchito, Oklahoma. A low-key town of just 700 and a stark difference from the raucous Rodman effect that awaited the NBA to take flight. History was made but at the cost of media portrayals of a son who famously came to be known as “the ghetto kid” being saved by sports, a narrative that silently pained his mother.

Not to spin the truth, it wasn’t as if Rodman had a smooth relationship with Shirley either. Take his 2011 Hall of Fame induction speech, for instance, where Shirley too was present. “Me and my mother have never gotten along. I was a very good kid when I was young. Once I got to the age of 16 to 18, 19, 20, I couldn’t care less.. My mother worked three jobs and kicked me out of the house. I resented her for a long time. My mother rarely ever hugged me or my siblings. I haven’t been a great son to you.”

It took years to reconcile, but they did. On Thursday, his mother passed away, which pried open some of Rodman’s childhood wounds. He took to Instagram to share a final farewell for his mother.“Thank you for the Memories ✨ Thank you for creating Me Dennis Rodman Thank you for being My Mother Forever My Angel 😇 RIP Mom! From your only son as you would say 🤞🏾#mom #rip #love #goodlife,” he wrote.

No information is available regarding the reason behind her demise. Dennis Rodman posted a carousel of photos on his Instagram to remember his mother. In the post, there was also a video, where he handed over the flowers to his mother.

Dennis Rodman also received his now-famous nickname from his mother. As a kid, he loved playing pinball, and when his mother saw the way he would twist, wiggle, and turn while playing pinball, she couldn’t help but nickname him ‘Worm’. It stuck throughout his basketball career.

Knowing how much influence Shirley had on Rodman’s life, basketball fans were sad to know about her death.

Dennis Rodman: Fans shared their heartfelt condolences…

“Dennis never understood I’m only one person. I had to be both a mom and a dad. And I did the best I could,” Shirley once told the New Times. She tried explaining her side to her son, but the acceptance took long. Knowing how much Shirley had to go through, thanks to Dennis Rodman and his interviews, fans now understand the relationships that the NBA star and his family had.

• “Rest in Paradise 🙏🙏.“
• “I know the feeling Dennis much love.“

While he had a love-hate relationship with his mother, his father was never present in his life. Though they met in 2012, he had last seen his father in December 1969. Philander Rodman Jr. passed away in Angeles City, Pampanga on July 14, 2020, aged 79. His father’s absence affected him in many ways.

He felt left out. “I felt shut out not having a father, always having to look out for myself. And my mother just didn’t have enough time to be with me. She was always more interested in my sisters,” he once shared.

The father had established a joint named the Rodman’s Rainbow Obamaburger, where burgers in red, yellow, and green were sold— all colors that Dennis Rodman dyed his hair during his championship runs with the Chicago Bulls.

Dennis Rodman’s current partner and girlfriend commented, Yella Yella, also reacted to the news of his mother’s death. “💕🤞,” she expressed her feelings through emojis. They started dating during the summer of 2022.

Apart from her, even a former professional boxer sent his condolences. Zab Judah wrote, “🙏🏾🕊️” and shared a photo featuring Metta-World Peace, Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman, and Zab Judah from 2020. Even Matt Barnes, who was his former teammate at ABA Long Beach Jam, commented: “🙏🙏.” 

While he has received a lot of support, Dennis Rodman is going through one of the most difficult times. His mother and sisters protected him when they lived in most crime-ridden sections in Dallas. He was a shy, skinny boy who grew up to have a colorful and bold personality. But at the core, he is an emotional person.

“He has a lot of abandonment issues. He’s an emotional guy. Even at his age, it’s hard for him to hear his kids tell him that they love him,” Rodman’s longtime agent, Darren Prince, shared years ago.

As Rodman tries to get past this difficult time, the NBA world is lending a supportive shoulder.

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.