Dennis Rodman Claims He Doesn't Deserve to Have Pistons Jersey Retired, But He's Wrong
Former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman is scheduled to have his jersey retired by the Pistons during a ceremony at halftime of Friday's game between the Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
However, the onetime clown prince of the NBA has told the Detroit Free Press that he doesn't feel he deserves to be honored in this way.
?I thought it was an April Fools? joke when they called me about it the first time,? Rodman said. ?I was shocked. I don?t think I should have my jersey retired because I was probably the fifth most important guy on those teams.?
While Rodman's modesty isn't surprising (underneath all of the hair and tattoos and cross-dressing, he was always humble about his on-court skills), that doesn't mean that he's right; in fact, Rodman's jersey more than merits a spot in the Palace at Auburn Hills.
I can assure you this is no April Fools' prank; Rodman's career stats back me up on this. Underneath the wild antics, freakishly colored hair, tattoos, piercings and the like, you'll find one of the greatest rebounders and defenders in NBA history.
From 1991 until his retirement in 2000, Rodman never averaged fewer than 11.3 rebounds per game in any season.
He averaged 18.7 in 1991-92, 18.3 in 1992-93, and 17.3 in 1993-94, and was a key cog in the Pistons' back-to-back titles in 1990-91 and 1991-92 under head coach Chuck Daly.
His ability to snag rebounds and play some of the most tenacious defense the league has ever seen made the Pistons what they were in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Without Rodman, there wouldn't have been quite as sharp an edge to Daly's teams.
Rodman's stats aren't as appreciated as other players, because they came in areas that didn't involve scoring.
However, in the end, The Worm more than deserves his place of honor in Detroit, even if he doesn't think he does.
For more NBA news, check out NBA Draft 2011: Grading the Top Underclassmen Likely To Go Pro.
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