In the history of the NBA, there have been freak athletes, and then there was Dennis Rodman . “The Worm” is an eccentric yet highly effective player in his heyday, primarily because of his unusual techniques. On one occasion, the five-time NBA champion shared a secret with an up-and-coming star named Kevin Garnett to shake off burnout during back-to-back games.
“The Big Ticket” recalled Rodman’s advice in a KG Certified episode and is living proof that this weird stuff worked.
“He the one who gave me the secret to getting around back-to-backs,” Garnett remarked . “Lift. He once showed me how to… You know how you tired? Hey, go ahead after the games, get you a little light lift, he gave me that. And ever since I did that, I was better on the back-to-back, bro.”
“I was crisper,” added the 2004 NBA MVP. “You know how the back-to-back, you feeling tight? Man, I had a pop, you know what I’m saying? After that lift, he the one who gave me that.”
Wild methods
The “lift after games” thing is pretty crazy, given the fact that most experts recommend resting before doing so. Nevertheless, you can’t argue with the results. According to Statmuse , the two-time Defensive Player of the Year had an astonishing 164-80 record in back-to-back situations over his career. In those games, he averaged an incredible 12.5 rebounds a game in over 31 minutes of play.
“Normal” doesn’t cut it for a guy like Dennis. In hindsight, the advice he gave to a young Garnett was tame compared to the situations the latter described in the podcast. Running full-speed on an inclined treadmill wearing combat boots ? That sounds like only “The Worm” can and would dare to do.
Besides these weird methods, Rodman has plenty of insane party stories, going out all night during the NBA Finals and after regular season games. Isiah Thomas said Rodman was a basketball genius , the only person he knew who studied ball rotations and shot patterns depending on who attempted the shot. This allowed him to get to the ball first, especially on the offensive glass.
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No Equal
The NBA has been around for nearly 80 years, and no one plays quite like the eccentric forward.
“Rodman had the agility to move with any point guard in the 90s. He could slide left to right, laterally with anybody,” observed Garnett. “He was 6-9 and had the movement of a point guard. He played like Draymond (Green), but more in control. He would outwork 80% of these mugs today, bro.”
With the emphasis on spacing and three-point shooting today, it would have been interesting to see a prime “Worm” play in this era. Rodman is likely the only player in NBA history who could defend quick guards on the perimeter and battle dominant bigs like Shaquille O'Neal in the post, making him unmatched in any era.
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