“He was the one guy who gave me hope that I could make it professionally” – Pippen patterned his game after Rodman to make it to the NBA originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Dennis Rodman wasn’t supposed to make it to the NBA. He played three years for Southeastern Oklahoma State University, which was part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), a collegiate league several tiers lower than the prestigious NCAA.
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Around this time, the young Scottie Pippen, just a year behind Rodman, was already keeping tabs on the hyper power forward. Just like Pip, The Worm was not a prolific scorer, but he was a beast in the rebounding and defensive departments.
Dennis The Menace
And so when Rodman made it to the NBA as the Detroit Pistons’ 27th overall pick in 1986, Pippen’s hopes were resurrected. Even though Pip also came from NAIA, there was a sliver of possibility of making it to the NBA — and succeeding.
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“He was the one guy who gave me hope that I could make it professionally from an NAIA school,” Pippen said in 2011, per nba.com. “So I followed his career, and I had a lot of respect for what he did in college, being a top rebounder and a very good defender. He was able to carry that on to the league and helped the Pistons solidify a championship team.”
Rodman’s rise was quick. He played just 15.0 minutes in his rookie year and averaged 4.3 rebounds. In year two, Dennis’ minutes and rebounds drastically increased to 26.2 minutes and 8.7 boards, respectively.
In his third year, already a key part of the rotation off the bench, The Worm averaged 9.4 rebounds, was a contender for Defensive Player of the Year, and helped the Detroit Pistons win the 1989 NBA Championship.
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Pippen, whose rise to prominence did not hinge on his scoring but on his defensive instincts, remained a fan even as Rodman booted out his Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.
“It pushed him to work harder and realize that it was an uphill battle this whole career,” said Scottie of Dennis. “That’s how he faced that challenge, which he met every day.”
Relentless work ethic
The ghost of Rodman empowered Pippen to be the best player he could be. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t that gifted on the offensive side of basketball. Pip’s ability to do everything extraordinarily well powered the Bulls to three straight NBA Championships in the early ’90s.
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Scottie’s hunger for more championships was reinvigorated when he became teammates with Dennis — his idol and his role model — in the 1995-96 NBA season. Finally, after years of studying The Worm and even fighting with him, Pip saw the legend up close and personal.
“Dennis worked as hard as any player in the gym,” added Pippen. “He lifted weights, he rode the bike; he kept himself going before and after games, as well as practices. He always kept himself in top shape and was very determined. You put a relentless Dennis Rodman out on the basketball court, and you better have someone there to match his energy. If you don’t, it’s going to be a long night.”
Most people regard Rodman now as the crazy one, the other Bull, and the Bad Boy. Those are accurate descriptions of the man. To Pippen, the eccentric power forward was the man who inspired him that anything is possible, as long as you believe in yourself and put the work in.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.