The Chicago Bulls had one of the best dynasties in sports history during their second three-peat in late 1990s.
The team featured Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who already won titles in the early portion of the decade. They did another run during the 1995-96 season once Dennis Rodman joined the team.
The Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics that year before the Utan Jazz the following season. Afterward, Jordan expressed how Rodman did not disrupt the flow despite the distractions.
“His dress didn’t bother me,” Jordan said. “His hair didn’t bother me. He’s gonna go wacko every now and then. We’d come to live with that, We’ve come to accept that.”
Rodman had various issues during that time, ranging from his tattoos, to Las Vegas trips from the team to suspension from commissioner David Stern.
Jordan said Rodman’s work ethic outweighed all those things. The Bulls still completed another three-peat with a victory over the Jazz in the 1998 Finals.
” I can’t find another player on the basketball court that works just as hard as Dennis Rodman,” Jordan said. “He gives 110 percent, dives at loose balls even if he can’t get them. That’s Dennis Rodman. I don’t have a problem with Dennis.”
MAGIC HELPS KAREEM
Magic Johnson was more than just the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s.
He was also the chief motivational speaker.
During a recent appearance on Byron Scott’s Fastbreak podcast, Johnson detailed how he would find a way to get teammates fired up. He spent most of the time amping fellow Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The tactic was simple: share newspaper clippings from the opposing city. It didn’t matter if it came from the mouth of players or print headlines.
“So we would get to town and I’d read all the comments from the players of the other team,” Johnson said. “I remember Patrick Ewing was doing his thing in New York and they would say, `Oh, man, is Patrick going to take it to Kareem tonight?’ So I would say, `Cap, he’s trying to take over your (bleep), I thought you from New York?’ And he look at me, `Oh boy.'”
Magic used to talk trash to kareem @ByronScottFastBreak
Johnson recalled again challenging Abdul-Jabbar during the 1985-86 season. The Houston Rockets featured centers Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, who were dubbed the “Twin Towers.”
Abdul-Jabbar finished with 46 points on 21 of 30 shooting and 11 rebounds in a 117-95 victory.
“They said Hakeem getting ready to take over the league. They got the Twin Towers. What you gonna do Cap?,” Johnson told Abdul-Jabbar. “Man, he went off for almost 50 that night. He still had to prove a point, `This still my league.’ I used to love doing that.”
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]