Phil Jackson: Dennis Rodman Best Athlete I’ve Ever Coached
Not Mike, not Kobe. The Worm.
“He could probably play a 48-minute game and play the 48th minute stronger than the first minute of the game,” Jackson told the crowd at UND. “He was that terrific an athlete.”
Some video of Dennis doing everything from boarding to running with the bulls (literally):
Phil also credits Madonna with helping Rodman overcome his “shy” personality:
“Madonna saw what was in there and wanted him . . . to do what she does: be outrageous, and kind of talked him into opening up his character,” Jackson said. “And Dennis didn’t know how many ways he could open up his character.”
Source: OC Register
August 27th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
sans says:
Man, it looked like everyone he ever played against wanted to hit him.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Jim says:
Can’t hate on the Worm. Self-made man more than any other athlete I can think of. Played on two great teams and some contenders. Not many guys only played on really really good teams.
A-Hole, obviously.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Kobe says:
G.O.A.T
1.Kobe
2.RODMAN
3.Jordan
LAKESHOOOO!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
that's whats up says:
in related news, Phil Jackson says no one boned his girl Jeannie Buss better than Rodman either.
“He would throw her down for 48 minutes and be stronger in the 48th minute than the first minute”, Jackson said.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
GEE...Make my funk the p-funk says:
Part of me wants to run with the bulls (literally) then the other 99 percents says you are out yo rabbit a$$ mind!
Rodman was awesome. I just wish he wasn’t so weird.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Farouq Obama says:
Classic!! He did really wear himself out though, he is uglier as he has gotten older…..[||]
Side Note: I was watching the Lakers during the playoffs and the Wifey thought Phil Jackson was a black man.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
rodnets says:
LMFAO @4
August 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Ian the statboy says:
i hated this motherfucker when he was on my spurs cuz of what he did in the 95 series vs the rockets but liked him in the pistons and bulls
August 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
QuEst?? says:
ese cabron estaba loco pal carajo
August 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Michorizo says:
Madonna also got Rodman to open up her legs.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
AY says:
um, isn’t yao ming going to be as tall in his second 48 minutes as his first 48 minutes? doesn’t that make him as good an athlete as the worm?
August 27th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
C4 says:
He must be talking in the sense that Rodman was the most well conditioned athlete I ever saw. I remember when he wasn’t in the game, he would be riding a stationary bike, but he was the only Bull that you could leave in the game for the entire game and not worry about him running out of gas and this would be after flying back from Vegas after all night partying, just in time to make tip-off.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
doc says:
I can believe it.People get athlete and ballplayer mixed up.Rodman went all out for 48 minutes harder than ANYBODY I ever seen play the game.Respect due for a true HOFer.Madonna turned his ass out though.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Dave says:
This absolutely no surprise to anyone who watched Rodman in his prime. He was one of the best natural athletes ever to play the game. How else would a 6′7″ forward lead the league in rebounds for so many years? He was just able to go harder than everyone else, and never got tired.
The Madonna thing also is not a surprise. In his book, though, Rodman said that boning her wasn’t all that spectacular.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Tyler says:
A little off subject, but a good story about Dennis Rodman nonetheless. In 1995 I was 10 and he was playing for the Spurs and I was a huge fan. January of that year my mom passed away in a car accident. Sometime in the next few months my Moms best friend wrote a letter to Rodman’s fan club(Yes he had a fan club lol) saying what happened and how much of a fan I was of his. Not real sure how it came about but Dennis Rodman himself called my house and invited my Grandfather and I to the last game of the regular season against the Clippers. He sent a limo to our house to pick us up and I got to meet the whole team before the game. After the game we were escorted back down to the locker-room to see Rodman again. Like he was known to do he gave me the shoes he wore in the game signed them and also gave me a signed jersey. Turns out he actually clinched the rebounding title for that yr in that game. Anyway just thought Id share my story and show a side of Rodman that most people don’t see. Oh and P.S I sat and talked with him in the weight room as he lifted fpr 30-45 minutes AFTER THE GAME!!!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Gerard says:
My dad and I always have this huge argument. Basically he says Dennis Rodman is a better person than my favorite all time player David Robinson, which I just think is absolutely ludicrous. He always cites stories like the guy above me and states that Rodman does all this charity work in private, he just doesn’t seek the public’s acknowledgment. I say that doesn’t matter, you can’t say he’s a better person than The Admiral. Give me some help y’all.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Tyler says:
Ill agree with you 100%, was just sayin Rodamn isnt the ass everyone makes him out to be…
August 27th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
GarethChantler says:
David Robinson doesn’t really have a brain, so it’s hard to qualify him as an adult person….
August 27th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
doc says:
We dont know Gerard.You would have to know both dudes personally but I know enough about people to know what you see on the outside aint what it really is.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
bamba says:
This is gonna give Kobe even MORE reason to work his ass off this summer
August 27th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
QueSt??? says:
if rodman was the best athlete he had ever coached, why did he kick rodman off the lakers???
August 27th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
QueSt??? says:
oh and btw he can still ball. he came to PR a few months ago and he still looked like he could play
August 27th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Marvin says:
Rodman was the only player I ever knew who could guard players 1 to 5 man to man and be successful.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:21 am
heartbreaker85 says:
cant hate on rodman, the guy rebounds better than anyone. ben wallace did his best worm impersonation before burning himself out in three years.
rodman basically played the same way from detroit to san antonio to chicago to los angeles- gritty defender, 1st class defender.
he wasn’t a dirty player even, he just doesn’t give you any space to move at all wc annoys the piss out of karl malone.
plus, remove the wild haircolor and pink boa, he’d fit in the denver nuggets’ tattoo bootcamp. i think people just hate on him coz he’s black but digs techno more than hip-hop.
August 28th, 2008 at 3:44 am
M says:
Damn tyler, what a story.
I’d never guessed it to be behind his cover; if you look at him like the media portraits him.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:41 am
The M says:
I agree doc. Some of you are missing the point! Phil said he was the BEST ATHLETE not the best shooter/scorer/jump ball specialist. It’s like Lester “Blurry Hands” Miklewite, that man was far and away the greatest athlete to grace the stage of the Grand ‘ol Opry, but his banjo playing reeked. It just stank up the whole joint but we still marveled at his endurance (God rest his soul). And we miss you too Worm.
By the way I think P-Jax is the name of the detergent my maid uses to clean the toilets.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Desrat says:
The thing about Worms game that I liked was that little-bitty Stocton would drive on worm and worm would fly like five feet getting the offensive foul, then in the next game he would stand toe to toe banging w/ Shaq for boards.