“Looked at me like I’m the devil” – Dennis Rodman reveals Greg Popovich HATED him because he wasn’t devout Christian during brief spell at Spurs

David Robinson, Gregg Popovich and Dennis Rodman: Clash of Personalities and Perceptions in the San Antonio Spurs Era.

“Looked at me like I’m the devil” – Dennis Rodman reveals Greg Popovich HATED him because he wasn’t devout Christian during brief spell at Spurs

Dennis Rodman courtesy Getty Images

David Robinson said Dennis Rodman didn’t fit with the San Antonio Spurs because he was destructive. However, according to The Worm himself, Gregg Popovich and the organization never gave him a chance.

The Detroit Pistons traded Rodman to San Antonio in 1993 after he helped the team win back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. However, once the team embarked on a rebuilding route, the troubling forward became expendable.

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During an interview, Rodman stated, “He (Popovich) hated me, he hated me, he hated my guts because I wasn’t a Bible guy, They looked at me like I’m the devil. Then I started acting out again because they don’t want me here.” Debates abounded in the latter stages of Rodman’s tenure with the Pistons. When Dennis left Detroit, he continued to be the top rebounder in the NBA, and the Spurs thought that his combination with The Admiral would one day help the franchise win an NBA title.

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Rodman played well in San Antonio statistically, averaging 17.3 and 16.8 rebounds over the course of the two years he spent there. Additionally, after they were eliminated in the first round the year before, he helped the team go to the 1995 Western Conference Finals. Regardless of how well he played on the court, his flashy attitude made him a nuisance in his locker room.

“He’s an easy guy to like because he has a good heart,” Robinson added. “He wants to play hard – he wants to do the right things, but as far as a team goes, he was so destructive to a team perspective. There was nothing you could do to make him get out of his comfort zone.”

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Dennis Rodman’s colourful transformation and challenges with the Spurs: From Bulls’ acquisition to isolation in San Antonio

After getting acquired by the Chicago Bulls in a 1995 trade, Rodman proved that he was still at his peak. However, the Spurs respected the team’s culture more than their performance and believed Robinson fit in there.

Dennis Rodman

Rodman’s transformation began when he signed for the Spurs. He walked up to the first game with blonde hair, followed by red, purple, then blue, a nod to Wesley Snipes in “Demolition Man.” He was especially challenging to converse with due to his extremely high public relationship with Madonna. 

Dennis shut himself off because he believed the Spurs’ team locker room didn’t like him. Jack Haley, a former teammate of his, was a single of the few people who could connect with Rodman in any way.

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