“If Michael Jordan had put his hands in his pants, would he have been thrown out of the game?” – Dennis Rodman reacts to game ejection after drawing two technical fouls in 1996

In his prime, Dennis Rodman knew how to use mind games. This was part of his arsenal, getting into the heads of other players with his unusual antics.

However, “The Worm” was far from perfect in keeping his cool. There were times when he would lose control of himself, a reason why he often got ejected from games and fined heftily. With his uncanny demeanor, it was unsurprising that the game officials kept a close watch on what he did on the court. But as far as Rodman is concerned, double standards were being made, and this was the reason why he claimed he got his share of bad calls.

Some of those happened when he was with the Chicago Bulls. The Southeastern Oklahoma State product had several on and off-court incidents. However, one that most will recall is when Rodman headbutted an official after incurring two technical fouls in the Bulls vs. New Jersey Nets game in 1996.

“It just gets ridiculous that the referees in this league pick on me,” Rodman rued after his banishment, the third time for the 1995-96 season. “The head-butt was an accident, but they're going to make it look like it was deliberate,” he added.

Misinterpreted move

Rodman’s second technical came after complaining about a call involving Rick Mahorn of the Nets. Rodzilla reached into his shorts and asked referee Paul Mihalak if that was how he should defend. Although he was doing it out of jest, another game referee, Ted Bernhardt, called him for a T, his second infraction that led to his ejection. Irate, the 6-foot-7 forward raised a point on the call.

“If Michael Jordan had put his hands in his pants, would he have been thrown out of the game? Case closed,” the two-time All-Star stated via the New York Times.

Rodman would be fined $20,000 for the headbutting incident and meted a six-game suspension. Dennis would later admit he was at fault and apologize for his actions, per another news article .

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Listen to Mike

The suspension meant the Bulls had to survive without one of their top-tier defender and rebounders for the next six games. When asked to comment on Rodman’s allegations, Jordan offered unsolicited advice to the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

“If he feels the refs are picking on him, then he's got to do the opposite thing. Maybe he has to be concerned with the focus of the game rather than how he's being perceived,” Jordan said.

Even after that headbutting incident, Rodman hardly changed his ways. Regardless, the Bulls found a way to manage the 27th overall pick of the 1986 Draft until its last dance in 1998. Chicago registered its second three-peat, and “The Worm” added three more rings to his tally to increase his NBA title count to five.

Related: Mark Cuban on Dennis Rodman living in his guest house: "He'd sneak Carmen Electra through the back door"