Many questioned if Dennis Rodman's conduct would negate him being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - Steve Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com photo

Dennis Rodman was a wild child

Sports Notes EXTRA EXTRA - DENNIS RODMAN - THE BAD BOY GOT HIS DUE

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

During his experience with Madonna Rodman went wild with his conduct. For certain Madonna wasn't like a virgin for the very first time. They split up but Dennis the Menace's wild life went on

Saturday July 23, 2011

THE WORM DID IT - THE HARD WAY

Dennis Rodman has been depicted as the bad seed of the NBA. Although he was an integral member of five NAB title winning teams it seems his reputation was often being in trouble with the law, having personal problems and being eccentric got in the way of the public respecting his basketball playing skills.

When I first interviewed Rodman it was after the Detroit Pistons won the first NBA title. As reporters busied themselves interviewing Piston stars Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bell Laimbeer I noticed Rodman sitting alone in from of his locker and the LA Sports Arena. He had his hands clapped around his head leaning over with his elbows on his knees.

When I requested and interview he was surprised and asked why. I replied that I noticed his rebounding abilities in the playoffs that were a key factor in the team winning the title. His eyes brightened up as if finally someone recognized his skill since shooting was not.

We did it and it was a radio feature. When he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs and started to dye his, date Madonna that became a print feature in my column in the French magazine Maxi Basket.

During his experience with Madonna Rodman went wild with his conduct. For certain Madonna wasn't like a virgin for the very first time. They split up but Dennis the Menace's wild life went on.

In 1996, Rodman had his own MTV reality talk show called The Rodman World Tour, which featured him in a series of odd-ball situations. This show was produced by Patrick Byrnes and written by Tom Cohen and Matt Price.

A year later, he made his feature film debut in the action film Double Team alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film was critically panned and his performance earned him three Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst New Star, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple (shared with Van Damme).

Rodman also starred in Simon Sez, a 1999 action/comedy and co-starred with Tom Berenger in a 2000 action film about skydiving titled Cutaway. In 1998, he joined the cast of the syndicated TV show Special Ops Force, playing 'Deke' Reynolds, a flamboyant but skilled ex-Army helicopter pilot and demolition's expert.

The irony is young Asian basketball fans recognize his name from his history as an actor and not his basketball career.

As the wild-man lived in the fast lane his NBA career started to decline. He was cut by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. That became the end of his NBA career.

Rodman continued to play in Europe and America's minor leagues. He and others questioned if his conduct would negate him being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The questions were did he have enough talent to justify the selection? If so would his hard living lifestyle deny him of the honor? There is no doubt that he worked hard being a small man in a big man's position but did a bog mans job.

The answer to these questions started to become clear when earlier this year the Pistons retired his number. That was followed by his induction into the Hall of Fame. It's a tribute to a person who was largely misunderstood. Rodman is really a down to earth good person. Like Michael Jordan he never turned me down for an interview.

Rodman ascended his career from the depths of coming from a broken home, becoming a janitor at the Dallas airport, went to a small college and and progressed to develop his talents and become a member 5 NBA title winning teams. It's an induction that is well deserved. Dennis Rodman did it his way and the hard way. The most noteworthy thing is that he is the FIRST WORM TO BE SELECTED TO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME.

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