"If I had a broken arm, I'd still be getting rebounds" - Dennis Rodman said only a straitjacket could prevent him from playing in 1989 Finals

NBA legend Dennis Rodman was an integral part of the Detroit Pistons in the 1980s. He was their top defensive player and someone who could control the boards.

“The Worm” was essential to the Motor City squad when they faced the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers in the 1989 Finals. Detroit wanted revenge after the Purple and Gold foiled them in seven games in the 1988 championship series. However, Rodman was not 100% healthy at the time, dealing with upper back spasms.

Chairman of the boards

Being the player he was, Dennis never allowed injuries to slow him down. Aware of what was at stake at the time, the Southeastern Oklahoma State product declared it would take a lot to keep him on the sidelines.

“I don't care if I had a broken arm, I'd still be getting rebounds,” Rodman said then via UPI . “It takes a lot of heart to play out there in pain, but you'd have to put a straitjacket on me to keep me out."

Rodman made those statements with the Pistons at the cusp of dethroning the Lakers. They had just scored their third-straight win in the series, 114-110. However, the glaring stat of the night was Dennis’ game-high 19 rebounds.

“I knew I was getting some, but I didn't think I had that many,” Rodman said after looking at the stat sheet of Game 3.

With an insurmountable 3-0 series lead over the defending champs, the Pistons knew they had the Lakers on the ropes. Rodman was ready to go for Game 4, knowing he could rest and let his injury heal if they finished off the Purple and Gold.

“I think we're reaching the end of the tunnel. There will be a lot of time to rest the back during the offseason,” he said.

Related: "Do you want to play basketball or be a comedian?" — Rick Mahorn on how they dealt with a young Dennis Rodman

Deflecting credit

The Pistons went on to sweep the undermanned Lakers in the 1989 Finals for their first NBA title. Rodman, who averaged 10.0 rebounds in that series, could have easily been singled out as the difference-maker. However, “The Worm” brushed that off and insisted that their success was because of Isiah Thomas .

“Isiah is leading the charge. He's the one we follow,” Rodman said in another article by UPI .

Defense was singled out as the key behind the Pistons' success. Although Rodman would be the first name to come to mind, Thomas and players like John Salley and Mark Aguirre also contributed on the defensive end.

“We're playing well on defense. That's how we win. We get the stops and the fastbreaks. That's what brings us championship rings,” Salley quipped.

The Pistons used the same formula in the 1989-90 season to win their second-straight championship. However, the league made changes after that, a move that, according to Rasheed Wallace, was meant to adhere to fan rants.

With the Pistons focusing on defense, Sheed felt the NBA deemed them bad for business . With tighter calls, Detroit found it tough to defend, and most of its players ended up in foul trouble.

The debate on seeing a free-flowing game rages on to this day in the NBA. Defense has taken a back seat for now as the league tries to appease fans with highlight reels and torrid shooting from afar.

Related: “These aren't kids anymore” - Joe Dumars on the time Pistons 'Bad Boys' realized Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls would finally hit back