How Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman Went from Fierce Rivals to Iconic Teammates — And the Apology That Made It Happen
Summary
The act of apology – particularly verbalizing with eye contact the words “I am sorry” – is among the most difficult chores. I share here the intriguing case of Dennis Rodman (NBA’s best rebounder), who apologized to Michael Jordan (basketball GOAT) in an unorthodox verbal manner about his mistake. I reflect that aside from the sincere act of apology, the more important consideration is the follow-up action to address the concerned issue.
Table of Contents
- The Backstory: Setting the Stage for Rodman’s Apology
- From Foes to Frenemies: Jordan and Rodman’s Rivalry
- An Unlikely Alliance: Jordan and Rodman as Teammates
- The Turning Point: Rodman’s Ejection and Unorthodox Apology
- Keeping His Word: Rodman’s Promise to Jordan
- The Heart of the Matter: Reflecting on the Essence of Apology
1. The Backstory: Setting the Stage for Rodman’s Apology
The iconic song by the legendary British musician Sir Elton John – Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word – is the musical reference to this blog involving two basketball legends. Please listen to the song first through this link to prime you up for reading the succeeding texts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3nScN89Klo.
A gesture of apology is among the most challenging acts to perform among the human species. This is particularly true if you have to verbalize upfront – while maintaining eye contact – the words “I am sorry.” Others contend that apologizing is even more difficult when compared with verbal expression of love (“I love you), seeking help (“Please help me”), and intimately needing someone (“I need you”). The act of apology is harder and more problematic when we are emotionally charged and when pride overpowers us.
The world is replete with examples of great love stories that have gone astray because the offender did not apologize. Many large-scale wars were waged because the offenders did not make amends. Likewise, many once-intimate relationships have broken down because the one who had made a mistake did not make an effort to say sorry. But should an apology always be directly verbal, given the inherent difficulty of such an act?
This blog’s purpose is to show the very unorthodox manner by which Dennis Rodman apologized to Michael Jordan (Figure 1) after losing a basketball game. First, I describe their intense rivalry as basketball opponents in the late 80s and early 90s. This is followed by how they became teammates in 1995. Thirdly, I described how Rodman screwed up and how he apologized in a very unusual way. Finally, I reflect that aside from sincerity, an apology’s more critical consideration is the follow-up action to address the concerned issue.
2. From Foes to Frenemies: Jordan and Rodman’s Rivalry
If you are a sports enthusiast – particularly of the American League of the National Basketball Association (NBA) – the two main characters in this blog need no detailed introduction. I refer first to Michael Jordan, who is universally acknowledged as the basketball GOAT (acronym for greatest of all time). Secondly, I introduce Dennis Rodman (Figure 2) (considered as the NBA’s best rebounder), who has an eccentric personality with an unusual fashion of multi-colored hair, tattoos all over his body, and pierced nose. (And oh boy, among his high-profile girlfriends were celebrities like the famed singer Madonna, and the seductively beautiful Baywatch babe, Carmen Electra!)
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman were mortal basketball adversaries (Figure 3). (In basketball, the five starting players consist of the following with designated numbers: 1 – point guard; 2 – shooting guard; 3 – small forward; 4 – power forward; and 5 – center.) Michael Jordan was the famed Chicago Bulls star player while Dennis Rodman was a member of the bullish Detroit Pistons. (From now on, I use just ‘Bulls’ for the Chicago Bulls, while I simply refer to the Detroit Pistons as ‘Pistons’.) Aside from Jordan (shooting guard), the Bulls core triumvirate consisted of Scottie Pippen as the small forward and Horace Grant as the power forward. The other key players included B.J. Armstrong (guard), John Paxson (guard), and Bill Cartwright (center). Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, took over from Doug Collins as the Bulls’ head coach in 1989.
Aside from Rodman (originally a small forward who became a power forward), the Pistons’ core players included Joe Dumars (guard), Bill Laimbeer (center), and John Salley (forward-center). Isiah Thomas (starting point guard), also known as ‘Zeke’, led the roster. The Pistons’ players earned the label “Bad Boys” for their physical style of play. During that NBA era, hand-checking and more physical movements were allowed.
Jordan was primarily known for his scoring skills; on the other hand, Rodman was valued for his defensive prowess, particularly in rebounding. (Rebound refers to getting the basketball when the shooter fails to put it inside the ring.) While Jordan was amassing scoring titles, Rodman was amassing inclusion in the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Moreover, Rodman won the much-coveted Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) for 1990 and 1991.
In the late 1980s, the Pistons’ head coach, Chuck Daly, devised the “Jordan Rules,” a defensive strategy to minimize Jordan’s scoring outputs. The scheme consisted of physically challenging Jordan and forcing him into uncomfortable positions. These included double-teaming or triple-teaming Jordan so that he would be forced to either give up the ball – or take a difficult shot. As the defensive specialist, Rodman was pivotal in enforcing the “Jordan Rules.”
Rodman and his teammates often outmuscled Jordan whenever he went to the basket, knocking him down on the floor. Such “Jordan Rules” enabled the Pistons to beat the Bulls and win the NBA championship in 1989 and 1990. Jordan’s scoring average and efficiency were lower in the series against the Pistons.
But in 1991, the Bulls turned the table when they beat the Pistons in that year’s Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the series 4-0. Moreover, the Bulls became the NBA Champion in 1991, the first of their three-peat. However, despite all these, before the 1994 Season, Jordan announced his sudden retirement. He played baseball with the Chicago White Sox in 1994 and was assigned to the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate. Meantime, Rodman left the Pistons and moved to another team, the San Antonio Spurs, from 1993-1995.
3. An Unlikely Alliance: Jordan and Rodman as Teammates
On 18 March 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA with the now classic two-word press release – “I’m back.” After a 17-month retirement, his return to the Bulls was midway through the 1994-95 season. The lockout in 1995 Major League Baseball may have contributed to his return to the premier world of basketball, if not directly precipitated.
Unfortunately, on 18 May 1995, the Orlando Magic beat the Bulls during the pivotal Game 6 of the 1995 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. Although the scores were close at 108 and 102, the Orlando Magic tragically ended Jordan’s comeback show. The Magic was led by the duo of young but dominant 7’1” center Shaquille ‘Shaq’ O’Neal and its flamboyant 6’7” point guard, Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway. Jordan considered it as a personal humiliation for being booted out – and he vowed to get a revenge.
Ironically, Horace Grant, Jordan’s former teammate with the Bulls, was now the Magic’s starting power forward, and he outrebounded and outhustled his Bulls’ counterparts at that position. In that do-or-die Game 6, Jordan played for 39 minutes with reasonably decent stats: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 4 blocks. But he had only a below-par 0.42 shooting percentage, and he was only 70% on the free throw line. Moreover, he also committed 6 uncharacteristic turnovers, including the ones that cost the game.
After that traumatic exit, Jordan passionately argued that they needed a reliable power forward to rebound the ball and depend on the interior. In his book Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior, Phil Jackson recounted how Dennis Rodman – with popular monicker as ‘The Worm’ – was hired by the Bulls as its new power forward. To quote on page 209, Jackson mentioned that in the short-listing process, “The last and seventh person on the list was Dennis Rodman.”
Although the other roster members were reluctant, Jordan truly believed Rodman was the guy they needed the most. Even Pippen allegedly voiced his reservation as Rodman was regarded as a ‘wacko’ – a crazy and/or an erratic player. When the Bulls’ Jerry Krause (general manager) and coach Jackson were reciting the Bulls franchise’s 10 rules to him, Dennis simply replied: “You won’t have any problem with me and you’ll be getting an NBA championship.”
True to his promise, and despite a few on-court antics, Rodman had excelled in his rebounding and low-post defensive roles. His unique capacity to annoy his opponents and invaluable defensive presence had energized the Bulls. For the 1995-96 season (Figure 4), Rodman led not only the Bulls but the entire NBA in the number of rebounds. He won his 5th Rebounding Title with an average of 14.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Jordan claimed his 8th Scoring Title.
In the finals, the Bulls faced the up-and-coming Seattle SuperSonics. Its roster was led by the dashing 6’4” Gary Payton (point guard a.k.a. ‘The Glove’ because of his tight defensive prowess) and the burly 6’10” Shawn Kemp (power forward with the monicker ‘The Reign Man’). Phil Jackson also cited in his book that 1995-96 was the ‘Greatest Season Ever’ in his coaching career. They established a historic win-loss record of 72-10. (It stood for 20 years until the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors surpassed it with a new win-loss record of 73-9). After the Bulls took the first three games, the SuperSonics won the next two games. Eventually, though, the Bulls wrapped up the finals in Game 6 and won its 4th NBA Championship.
The result was likewise another NBA Championship, the 5th for the Bulls’ franchise for the following 1996-97 season. For the regular games, Rodman won his 6th Rebounding Title with an average of 16.1 rebounds per game. At the same time, Jordan claimed his 9th Scoring Title.
In the finals, they faced the confident Utah Jazz, champion of the Western Conference Finals. The team was spearhead by the elite 6’1” John Stockton (point guard, who up to now is the all-time leader in assist with an average of 10.5 per game) and the highly-muscular 6’9” Karl Malone (a.k.a. as ‘The Mailman’ as power forward for consistently delivering high points and rebounds). The duo of Stockton and Malone are universally regarded as the best in basketball’s pick-and-roll game. Again, both Jordan (32.3 points/game) and Rodman (7.7 rebounds/game) were instrumental in defeating the Utah Jazz in six games.
4. The Turning Point: Rodman’s Ejection and Unorthodox Apology
The 1997–98 NBA season, though, had become problematic for the Bulls as Rodman had displayed more erratic behavior. Moreover, Scottie Pippen got injured and could not play for an extended period. Since Pippen was a very versatile two-way player – meaning he played both excellent offense and suffocating defense – Jordan had to carry the scoring load. At the same time, Rodman did his usual defensive chores. Earlier, Jordan directed Rodman to be more accountable due to Pippen’s absence.
Unfortunately, in one of the crucial games, Rodman had a serious altercation with a referee and was thrown out of the game. Thus, Jordan was left alone to lead the Bulls, and they eventually lost that game. I enjoin you to view this short two-minute YouTube’s video about the Work event’s narrative through this link https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CLclzGTR9M8.
Naturally, Jordan was furious with Rodman. He used the word ‘livid’ to express his anger about the event’s unfolding. And this is where Rodman’s unique way of apology came in, which is the crux of this blog. He never directly uttered a verbal sorry to Jordan or offered any direct word of apology for that matter. Instead, he came to Jordan’s room and just requested for an extra cigar. (Despite being highly conditioned sportsmen, both are criticized health-wise for smoking cigars!). As relayed by Jordan, Rodman never came to his room in the past.
Therefore, Jordan had perfectly understood that such a gesture was his unorthodox way of apologizing. By simply asking Jordan for an extra cigar, Rodman was tacitly conveying these three messages: (1) he had made a mistake for being thrown out of the game that left Jordan alone to carry the team; (2) he was sorry for that stupid mistake; and (3) it would not happen again. And from then on, Jordan described Rodman as ‘straight as an arrow’.
5. Keeping His Word: Rodman’s Promise to Jordan
The result: the Bulls got its 6th NBA Championship. That was the culmination of their second three-peat NBA Championships. In the Last Dance documentary, the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty ended after that 1997-98 season. This 10-part documentary series delves into Michael Jordan’s career and the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty (Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8420184/companycredits/). As such, Michael Jordan retired for the second time, while Phil Jackson left as its head coach. Moreover, the following players moved to other NBA teams: Pippen to the Houston Rockets, Rodman to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Steve Kerr (best three-point shooter of all time in terms of percentage (at 45.4%) to San Antonio Spurs.
Without Rodman as a key contributor, they would not have achieved such a second three-peat (1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons). In NBA games, a solid defense is crucial to win a championship. The Bulls’ then new starting center from Australia, Lucien ‘Luc’ Longley, once described Rodman as a Tyrannosaurus rex (a dreaded apex dinosaur during the Jurassic Era). Longley admired his invaluable defense contribution, particularly in the low post. He claimed that if he missed a rebound, he was certain that Rodman would be behind him to secure the ball.
What Rodman promised to manager Krause and coach Jackson was – with his inclusion in the Bulls’ 1995 team roster – they would get an NBA championship. They not only got one but three NBA championship rings. With all his off-court course sexual adventures and misdemeanors, he was a rebounding beast in the hard court. Many argued that for his size, he is the best NBA rebounder. (Jordan claimed that Rodman was just 6’6” like him, though the latter was officially listed as 6’7”.)
6. The Heart of the Matter: Reflecting on the Essence of Apology
Returning to the video, Rodman requested a cigar from Jordan after that Bulls’ loss when he was ejected from the game. Such was a highly unusual verbal way of apologizing. Simultaneously, Rodman’s gesture tacitly indicated that he would fulfill his designated role as the Bulls’ primary rebounder and defensive specialist.
From my perspective, then, the essence of an apology is two-fold (Figure 5). First, express an apology in a manner that one is most comfortable with. Secondly, and more importantly, the offending party must undertake the necessary corrective actions to address the mistake that he has committed.
Rodman fulfilled his promise by becoming a key contributor to the Bulls’ three NBA Championships from 1996-1998. The duo of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could not have carried the team without Dennis Rodman’s defense and rebounding contributions. By simply keeping his promise – discounting his erratic behavior, unorthodox fashion preference, and on-court/off-court antics – Rodman may also be regarded as a true basketball gentleman.
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REFLECTION FOR READERS
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me on this journey through one of basketball’s most fascinating moments – the story of Michael Jordan (universally acknowledged as the basketball GOAT) and Dennis Rodman (considered the game’s best rebounder). Your presence here means so much to me!
We’ve all been in situations where we’ve needed to apologize – or where someone owed us an apology. What makes an apology meaningful to you?
In this story, Rodman showed that actions can speak louder than words. Do you think actions are enough, or do you believe a verbal apology is still essential? What’s the most memorable apology you’ve ever received – or given? Was it through words, actions, or something entirely unexpected?
I’d love to hear your stories about apologies that left a lasting impact. Whether it’s a heartfelt “I’m sorry” or a gesture that spoke volumes, share your experiences in the comments below! If you include a photo or a detailed story, I’ll feature it in my next blog post. Let’s make this a space where we can learn from each other’s experiences.
Thank you for being part of this conversation. Your stories and insights make this blog truly special, and I can’t wait to read about your experiences with apologies!
Copyright © 2025 by Michael D Pido
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