Dennis Rodman 1996 Defensive Player of Year

Lore & Background

Rodman won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award three times: in 1990 and 1991 with the Detroit Pistons, and in 1992 with the Detroit Pistons. He led the NBA in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years, including all three seasons he played for the Bulls (1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98). He earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times and won five NBA championships. On April 1, 2011, the Pistons retired Rodman's No. 10 jersey, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later that year. In October 2021, Rodman was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the United Center is thick with tension as the clock winds down in the fourth quarter. The opposing team's star drives toward the rim, expecting an easy layup against a tired Chicago forward. But there he is—Dennis Rodman, hair dyed a shocking shade of blue, eyes locked on the ball with predatory intensity. He anticipates the pass before it leaves the passer's hands, sliding across the hardwood with a suddenness that defies his size. A hand swipes the ball away, and in one fluid motion, he secures the rebound, turning defense into offense instantly. The crowd erupts, knowing that this is exactly why they won another title.

Reader's Guide

Rodman experienced an unhappy childhood and was often described as shy and introverted in his early years. After contemplating suicide in 1993, he reinvented himself as a 'bad boy' and became notorious for numerous controversial antics. He repeatedly dyed his hair in artificial colors, had many piercings and tattoos, and regularly disrupted games by clashing with opposing players and officials. He famously wore a wedding dress to promote his 1996 autobiography Bad as I Wanna Be. Rodman also attracted international attention for his visits to North Korea and his subsequent befriending of the North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un in 2013.

Did You Know?

• Rodman was drafted by the Detroit Pistons as the third pick in the second round (27th overall) of the 1986 NBA draft.
• He led the NAIA in rebounding twice (1985, 1986) while at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
• Rodman was the first-ever winner of the Celebrity Championship Wrestling tournament.
• He won the $222,000 main prize of the 2004 edition of Celebrity Mole.