Many fans will always associate Dennis Rodman with the Detroit Pistons. He spent seven seasons with the Motor City squad and was one of the most beloved figures there. However, like many things in life, changes happen, and the same can be applied to NBA players. That includes moving to a new team at some point. 'The Worm' demanded a trade and got his wish on October 1, 1993, when the two-time All-Star was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs .
Given what he could do on the court, every team would want a defensive-minded, rebounding monster like Rodman. The only hitch is that it was also when Dennis started to show uncanny behavior. That included riddling his body with tattoos and regularly dying his hair in different colors.
Forgettable homecoming
On the court, he was as pesky as ever. However, he tended to go overboard, which is why he incurred technical fouls and ejections. One of the unforgettable times when Rodman was ejected from the game was when he played his first game back at The Palace.
Rodman went up against his former teammates, including 'Bad Boy' buddy Bill Laimbeer. However, there was no holding them back with Rodman even engaging Lambs in a shoving match to pick up his first technical for the game.
His second T was handed at the wrong time. At that point, the Spurs were trailing the Pistons, 84-89, and trying to get back into the game. A shove on Sean Elliot drew a foul, a call that did not sit well with Rodman. He would be ejected from the game, although Dennis alleged that he did that on purpose.
"I wanted to get ejected, to make it exciting for the Piston fans," Rodman said via the New York Times.
However, he sarcastically made that remark. He had qualms about the treatment fans were giving him after years of being with the Pistons.
" The fans in Detroit are all hypocrites and two-faced. I brought them a lot of excitement over the years, and now they treat me like I have a disease. I wish I never had to come back," the 27th pick of the 1986 Draft rued.
What made it worse for the Spurs was that they went on to lose to the Pistons, 95-86. With Dennis controlling the boards, a huge load was taken off the shoulders of David Robinson. Although his addition helped push San Antonio to the postseason, his rebounding efforts were insufficient.
What Rodman forgot to share
Although he was aware that Rodman was a good defender and rebounder, Robinson pointed out one other thing they expected from Dennis before letting him go. 'The Admiral' singled out the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year's championship experience in the locker room since the team was trying to establish its identity.
Failing to place him under control, the Spurs would have enough of Rodman in the 1995 offseason. They traded him to the Chicago Bulls for Will Perdue, passing on the Dennis problem to Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. Surprisingly, they made it work, resulting in three NBA titles for the Bulls and Rodman further establishing himself as one of the best defenders and rebounders the game has ever seen.
Related: "Why you got to be the devil all the time?" - When David Robinson was upfront about Dennis Rodman's antics
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