Training camp in the NBA is underway, and Michael Jordan?s return to the NBA is expectedly the buzz of the league. He scored 18 points in one quarter against Miami, Saturday night.
Jordan?s return to the league is indeed enough of a reason to watch, but my excitement in the NBA is still lacking after the dismissal of the most theatrical teammate of Jordan.
The multi-colored hair of Dennis Rodman is missed just like a Jordan dunk. Rodman needs to come back for a third time to the game which gave him a stage to perform on.
I miss his antics, his spirit, his fervor and his willingness to say anything on his mind, even if it was challenging commissioner David Stern to a fight.
Rodman has hinted he wants to come back. ?Absolutely, absolutely. I?ve talked to a couple teams,? Rodman said on Jim Rome?s show ?The Last Word.? Rodman talked with the Indiana Pacers last week, but Pacers president Donnie Walsh said the Indiana roster was full.
Rodman also said he has talked to Jordan about a possible return with the Wizards.
But finding takers in the problem child?s latest comeback attempt is not easy, given his history.
Rodball?s numbers in his last return, a 13-game tenure with the Dallas Mavericks in the 1999-2000 season, speak for themselves: 11.2 rebounds and 2.1 points a game, two ejections, a one-game suspension and $13,500 worth of fines. And the Mavericks? record didn?t even improve, as they went 4-9.
The Mavericks welcomed talent from China (Wang Zhizhi), Germany (Dirk Nowitski), Mexico (Eduardo Najera) and Nigeria (Obinna Ekezie), but alienated the eccentric Rodman. The tattooed-one does seem to come from another planet.
And although Rodman stayed out of the league last year, he hardly stayed out of the public eye. Rodman made appearances on Ultimate Fighting Championship, promoting a clothing line.
He has also been a regular in the police reports.
At 40 years old, Dennis has never let his age get in the way of his juvenile antics. At his 40th birthday party, he was charged with disturbing the peace. In September, Rodman was charged with three misdemeanors for speeding through Newport Harbor in his water vessel, Sexual Chocolate. In August, it was reported he sprayed down other patrons with a fire extinguisher in a Hooters restaurant. Police in Worm?s hometown of Newport Beach, Calif., have responded to 70 different noise complaints against Rodman.
But personal life aside, Rodman has proven he is an exceptional player as well as headcase. He has averaged 13.1 rebounds and 7.2 points a game in 14 seasons in the league. And anyone who watched the Jazz-Bulls Championships knows Rodman is as much a psychological force as a physical one. He gets inside the head of opposing players like no other player in the league. His untraditional and unethical forms of play may have gotten him snubbed from All-Star teams, but do not take away from the fact he is a fine player.
Given his criminal background, Rodman belongs on the roster of the Portland Trailblazers. But whether it is Portland or not, some team in the NBA needs to find a home for basketball?s greatest entertainer. I really don?t see why he hasn?t been picked up. The man puts fans in the seats similar to a Vince Carter or Kobe Bryant, just not necessarily with his play. Owners are always looking to find ways of lining their pockets?why not take a chance on Rodman?
Rodman would fit in any city except our own. In the situation of the Utah Jazz, I think Rodman would alienate fans with disparaging remarks, rather than create a fan base.
Rodman would be a fine complement of Jordan if he was picked up by the Washington Wizards. Both of them don?t have Father Time on their side. Rodman could rebound, Jordan could shoot. The two could put in two or three strong years of work together. Rodman could teach the young nucleus of the Wiz the finer points of flopping, cursing at the referee, and offer stylistic pointers on bringing down an uncontested rebound.
Jordan may amaze in the traditional forms of basketball?stepping in front of a pass, hitting a fade-away jumper or finishing a hanging, acrobatic lay-up?but how many people really know what Rodman is going to do next?
Rory welcomes feedback at: [email protected].