The Detroit Pistons have announced that they are going to retire Dennis Rodman's no. 10 jersey (the number he wore in the Motor City) at halftime of their game April 1st.
Depending on your age, and cultural awareness, you could know Rodman because of any number of things. To you he could be:
- The guy who was naked on a motorcycle on the cover of his book.
- The guy was in a coffin on the cover of another book.
- The guy who did a book signing in a wedding dress.
- The guy who stepped to Clint Black on the Celebrity Apprentice.
- A professional wrestler. (Dave?)
- A two time co-star of Jean Claude Van Damme in Simon Sez and Double Team.
- A three time Razzie winner for the above mentioned films.
- A tattooed, pierced, multi-colored hair, NBA sideshow.
- A two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven time All NBA Defensive First teamer, integral piece of five NBA championship teams (including the '95-'96 Chicago Bulls, perhaps the greatest single season NBA team ever), and arguably the greatest rebounding forward in NBA history.
I'm a little young to remember Rodman on the Pistons, but I clearly remember when he was a member of my beloved San Antonio Spurs. I remember reading box scores in the newspaper (if any youngsters need me to explain those five words, feel free to email me) and smiling when I saw David Robinson and Rodman on top of the list of leaders in rebounding. Robinson was always second, with something around ten or eleven rebounds a game, and fractions of a board ahead of the guy in third. Rodman was always a clear six or seven boards ahead of The Admiral. I was always baffled by the fact that Rodman was able to do that from the forward position, but I guess they didn't call him The Worm for nothing.
I was upset when the Spurs traded Rodman to the Bulls for a bag of basketballs named Will Perdue. It was hard to get excited about a guy who backed up Bill Cartwright and was sent packing because of the emergence of Luc Longley. (Who? Exactly.) I knew San Antonio was going to miss Rodman's rebounding and defensive hustle. I told a friend of mine at the time, who was a huge Bulls fan, about the trade and he thought I was making a joke. Hopefully these reports aren't a joke. (Anyone else notice the Pistons are reportedly honoring him on April 1st?)
Rodman deserves this, if for no other reason than to start to legitimize his career and his contributions to some great teams, which are sometimes overshadowed by his personal antics.
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