Dennis Rodman is one of the greatest defensive players to have ever played the game. Considered the greatest rebounder in NBA history and a five-time NBA champion, we have never seen a player who possesses zero offensive threat yet dominated the NBA on a defensive level year after year in his prime. Not to mention, his ability as a 6’7” athlete meant Rodman had incredible stamina, length, and physical ability to bang with bigger players every night. Wilt Chamberlain once averaged 27.2 RPG in a single season and has 11 rebounding titles, but he played in an era where nobody could compare to him in terms of size. Rodman, meanwhile, played in a competitive 1990s era, and he won a whopping seven rebounding titles.
No doubt, the man known as “The Worm” has some very impressive accolades on his resume. The forward won five NBA titles with two franchises and has the most versatile defensive skillset we have ever seen. Rodman could realistically defend all positions on the court and captured two Defensive Player of the Year awards as a result. The 6’7” forward also made eight All-Defensive Teams and two All-NBA Teams. But as great as Rodman was, he had a ton of help in his career to help him achieve most of his success, including all of his five championships.
Dennis Rodman was clearly a dominant defender and elite rebounder over his career, along with being one of the most charismatic and unique athletes we have ever seen. He was generally quiet and subdued with the Detroit Pistons but “blossomed” into something we have never seen before with the Chicago Bulls. Let’s not forget Rodman also had stints with the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks. Through 14 years in the NBA, Dennis Rodman benefitted from playing with a host of superstars and Hall of Fame players. Perhaps similar to Kyrie Irving, Dennis Rodman might have had the greatest amount of superstar help ever. It is time to uncover just how much help Dennis Rodman had in his Hall of Fame career.
Honorable MentionMichael Finley
Career Statistics: 15.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Accolades: 2006-07 NBA Champion, 2x All-Star, 1996-96 All-Rookie Team Selection
Dennis Rodman was on the Dallas Mavericks during the 1999-2000 season, which meant he got to witness the elite scoring ability of prime Michael Finley. Finley was on the team during the 2000 season and posted 20.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 4.2 APG over only 12 games, with the guard helping Rodman on offense.
Dennis Rodman is fortunate enough to play with a talented defensive player in his prime, as Finley ended up making his first All-Star Team and averaged 22.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG over the season as a whole. Due to Finley’s scoring prowess in his prime, he has to be an honorable mention when it comes to The Worm’s greatest teammates ever. Rodman had a chance to be a solid starter but was completely disinterested during the season and retired after 12 games with the franchise.
Moses Malone
Credit: Lockerdome
Career Statistics: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Career Accolades: 1982-83 NBA Champion, 1982-1983 Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Team Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection, 6x Rebounding Champion, Hall Of Fame
Moses Malone, in his prime, would have been one of the greatest teammates that Dennis Rodman ever played with. In the 1994-95 season, Dennis Rodman played his second and final season with the San Antonio Spurs, and former superstar center Moses Malone was on the squad. Malone was 39 years old during the 1995 season and only lasted 17 games in the season.
Moses actually played the final 17 games of his career with the 1995 Spurs and retired immediately after. The 13-time All-Star and 6-time rebounding champion was past his best and only posted 9.0 PPG and 3.5 RPG alongside Rodman. Dennis still had a brief spell of time to see how Moses operated in the post, and the big man is a deserved honorable mention.
10. Steve Nash
Credit: Fadeaway World
Career Statistics: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x MVP, 8x All-Star, 7x All-NBA Team Selection, 5x Assist Champion, Hall Of Fame
It is amazing how time flies because Dennis Rodman had Steve Nash by his side during the 1999-2000 season. Nash was 25 years old and in his fourth season at the time, and was only posting 8.6 PPG and 4.9 APG for the Mavericks at the time. The point guard had not yet become the superstar floor general we know today, and that might have meant Dennis knew he couldn’t win immediately with Dallas.
Of course, Nash ended up becoming a two-time league MVP, eight-time All-Star, and future Hall of Famer, so Rodman did have a chance to see the budding Nash do his thing. Due to Nash’s status as a scorer, playmaker, and leader, he has to be one of Rodman’s greatest teammates.
9. Dirk Nowitzki
Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career Accolades: 2010-11 NBA Champion, 2010-2011 Finals MVP, 2006-2007 MVP, 14x All-Star, 12x All-NBA Team Selection
That’s right, Dennis Rodman not only managed to play with Steve Nash in Dallas but iconic German star Dirk Nowitzki. In the final season of his career, Rodman had a chance to be the defensive support for Nowitzki, but that ended fast and quite ugly. Dennis lasted 12 games with Dallas and only got to see Dirk average 17.0 PPG over that stretch, even if his average was 17.5 PPG.
Nowitzki was only in his second season with the Mavericks when Rodman joined Dallas, so the big man did not quite arrive as the superstar player who ended up making 12 All-NBA Team Selections. The fact that Rodman could not make it work in Dallas was frustrating because the talent was there for him to succeed, but Dennis was seemingly done with the NBA and never returned to the league after his 12-game stint with Nowitzki, Nash and the Mavericks.
8. Adrian Dantley
Credit: Fadeaway World
Career Statistics: 24.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career Accolades: 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 2x Scoring Champion, 1976-77 Rookie Of The Year, 1976-77 All-Rookie Team Selection, Hall Of Fame
Dennis Rodman played with superstar offensive player and Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley with the Detroit Pistons between 1987 and 1989. Dantley posted at least 19 PPG per season during that span, even if he was done making All-Star Teams at that point because of his age (31, 32, 33). Dantley actually averaged 20.0 PPG over the 225 games he played with Rodman.
Together, and with the likes of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars leading the squad, Rodman won 64.4% of his games with Dantley. Adrian was meant to be an offensive player, while Rodman focused on defense, and that strategy worked for 2.5 years. Dantley actually left Detroit 42 games into the 1989 season and missed out on a championship as a result.
7. David Robinson
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.0 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 1994-1995 MVP, 10x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Team Selection, 8x All-Defensive Team Selection, 1991-1992 Defensive Player Of The Year, 1993-1994 Scoring Champion, 1990-1991 Rebounding Champion, 1991-1992 Blocks Champion, 1989-1990 Rookie Of The Year, Hall Of Fame
Dennis Rodman played for the San Antonio Spurs in the 1994 and 1995 seasons, right after his stint with the Detroit Pistons ended and before he joined Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Chicago Bulls. Since he played on the Spurs in the 1994 and 1995 seasons, Rodman managed to hit the court with iconic center David Robinson.
Robinson posted 27.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 3.2 BPG during the 1995 season en route to his first MVP award, so Rodman got to witness that and also help out in that sense. Rodman formed a very dominant defensive pairing with Robinson down low, but Dennis was not fully invested with the Spurs and was interested in jumping ship. Of course, his Chicago Bulls run would start in the 1996 season. Regardless, Robinson won an MVP award with Rodman on the Spurs, and he is one of Rodman’s greatest teammates.
6. Kobe Bryant
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Accolades: 5x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2007-2008 MVP, 18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA Team Selection, 12x All-Defensive Team Selection, 2x Scoring Champion, Hall Of Fame
Anybody who managed to play with Kobe Bryant is extremely lucky, and Rodman is one of those, even if he only did it for one season. Rodman played with Kobe when the shooting guard was only 20 years old in his third season, and the star scorer averaged 19.9 PPG over that season. Of course, Bryant did not start winning championships until the 2000 season, so Dennis missed out on that run.
Regardless, Dennis Rodman managed to play with Kobe Bryant for one season and got to witness greatness on the offensive end. Dennis was acquired to be a defensive enforcer, which he was, but he was not able to fully make an impact at 37 years old and was disinterested in being a Lakers. Regardless, Kobe has to be one of Rodman’s greatest teammates on sheer skill and aura alone.
5. Shaquille O’Neal
Credit: Fadeaway World
Career Statistics: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG
Career Accolades: 4x NBA Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 1999-2000 MVP, 15x All-Star, 14x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection, 2x Scoring Champion, 1992-1993 Rookie Of The Year, Hall Of Fame
Many remember Dennis Rodman from his Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls days, and for good reason. But Rodman actually played for the iconic Los Angeles Lakers franchise during the 1989-99 season when the forward was 37 years old and slightly past his prime. Dennis still posted 11.2 RPG during the year but only averaged 2.1 PPG and was slower on defense.
Regardless, Rodman had a chance to play alongside the most dominant center ever in Shaquille O’Neal. Unfortunately, Rodman could not win his 5th NBA title as Shaq started winning championships starting in the 1999-2000 season. Shaq was spectacular in the 1999 season, averaging 25.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG over the 23 games he played with Rodman. In the season as a whole, Shaq posted 26.3 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 2.3 APG for the Lakers and is easily one of Rodman’s most talented teammates ever.
4. Joe Dumars
Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 1988-89 Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 5x All-Defensive Team Selection, 1985-86 All-Rookie Team Selection, Hall Of Fame
Dennis Rodman spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Detroit Pistons after getting taken No. 27 overall in the 1986 NBA Draft. The forward had an average rookie season before he started making an impact as a defender and rebounder. Over those years, one of his best teammates was an offensive and defensive star, Joe Dumars.
Rodman played with Dumars for all of his seven seasons in Detroit, winning 65.6% of their games and eventually capturing two NBA titles together. Rodman was younger and certainly less flashy during his Pistons days and was a defensive star. Over those seven years alongside Rodman, Dumars posted 17.5 PPG and 4.8 APG and ended up winning the Finals MVP in the 1988-89 season.
3. Isiah Thomas
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 1989-1990 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Team Selection, 1984-1985 Assist Champion, Hall Of Fame
Dennis Rodman, before he became the most polarizing and enigmatic star in NBA history, was a mild-mannered forward who competed hard on the NBA court night after night. Guess who the star of the Detroit Pistons was? None other than Isiah Thomas. Thomas’ presence as a scorer, playmaker, and leader meant the Pistons were dominant in their “Bad Boys” days with the point guard at the helm.
Isiah has to be Rodman’s most important teammate because the point guard helped Dennis win his first two NBA titles and allowed the forward to make a name for himself. Surely, Rodman had plenty of support from enforcer Bill Laimbeer behind him, but the player made his name as a dominant defender before the Chicago Bulls snatched him up.
2. Scottie Pippen
Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career Accolades: 6x NBA Champion, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA Team Selection, 10x All-Defensive Team, 1994-1995 Steals Champion, Hall Of Fame
Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen were defensive specialists with the Chicago Bulls, and both players formed a dynamic duo in terms of being versatile stoppers. Pippen took care of guards and small forward most times which allowed Rodman to handle opposing big men and control the boards. No doubt, the Bulls had the right recipe for success.
Pippen was also a capable scorer and playmaker and retired as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Sure, Pippen wasn’t as good as the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and other stars Rodman played with on other teams, but Scottie’s presence gave Dennis the best chance to win three straight NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.
1. Michael Jordan
Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career Accolades: 6x NBA Champion, 6x Finals MVP, 5x MVP, 14x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Team Selection, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, 1987-1988 Defensive Player Of The Year, 10x Scoring Champion, 3x Steals Champion, 1984-1985 Rookie Of The Year, Hall Of Fame
No doubt, Dennis Rodman’s best teammate was The GOAT, Michael Jordan. Rodman was the third-best player behind MJ and Scottie Pippen in Chicago during their second three-peat and was critical to helping the franchise defend its status as the most dominant modern dynasty. Thanks to Michael Jordan’s presence, Dennis Rodman did not have to focus on offense at all.
Rather, Dennis was responsible for playing lockdown defense and doing the dirty work to help the Bulls win championships. The forward became the enigmatic star we know today, and perhaps playing alongside Jordan brought it out of him. Whichever way you look at it, Jordan was critical to Rodman’s career because he won three NBA titles and gained unlimited notoriety from playing with the GOAT.
Source: fadeawayworld
