“You don’t put a saddle on a mustang” coach Chuck Daly on Dennis Rodman and his WILD ways
Dennis Rodman Was perhaps the most enigmatic player in the NBA history. He was one the greatest rebounders, but as a person he was never one for everyone. The Dennis Rodman from Episode 3 and 4 from "The Last Dance" is a revelation for everyone.
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Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman is arguably the greatest defender in the league’s history. He was a fascinating player that marched to his own beat and did not shy away from offending others while laughing in their faces. The Chicago Bulls star was a beast amongst the world of men who played for championships, but Rodman played for himself. But was that the whole truth? According to the legend, this is normal, and he sometimes plays to feel his own pain. If Jordan was a heartless assassin on the basketball court Rodman was “The Joker” of basketball.
The 3rd Episode of “The Last Dance” had a lot to reveal about Dennis Rodman and the world of the notorious 5 x NBA Champion. However, despite going into a life that had more and more layers to it, it is still hard to get into his head. You don’t genuinely know Dennis Rodman, he declared when discussing all of the things that have been written about him in the episode’s opening scene. “You don’t actually know Dennis Rodman,” Dennis said.
As it happened, during a practice session, when Rodman was with the Detroit Pistons, an assistant coach tried to approach Rodman and give him instructions. However, the head coach Chuck Daly stopped the assistant coach to leave Rodman alone, who was standing and looking into the emptiness. Stopping the assistant coach, Chuck said what might give a little peek into what Rodman was. He said, “You can’t put a saddle on a mustang.” That was Dennis Rodman for you.
Why was Chuck Daly referring to Dennis Rodman as a mustang?
When Rodman was 18, his mother, who drove buses to the neighborhood school, ejected him from the home. Homelessness made him live on the streets for two years. He finally had a good collegiate career and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft. Since joining the Pistons after the draft, Rodman remained an enigma for players and coaches in every team he later joined.
For the Pistons great Isiah Thomas, 2 x All-Star was an innocent person who was a little immature about the real world. However, the players from the same Pistons squad understood Dennis as a completely different person. Despite their championship stint and 7-years with the Pistons, Dennis remained an enigma that none could really understand. When with Pistons, Roman was one of the “Bad Boys Pistons” who beat down Michael Jordan twice in the playoffs.
Perhaps, the importance of the former Chicago Bulls star is best explained by the great Gary Payton. “He’s a pest. It was always a challenge. He was one of those players that would change the game just by his presence.” However, when it comes to understanding the person Dennis. He was the f***-up person, he just f***s everything up,” Payton added.
The reason Chuck Daly called Rodman a mustang is simple; he didn’t desire to be understood or taught. He had a life, that he was himself, struggling to find answers to and nobody could control him. He knows just one thing when the ball hits the board or misses, it’s his ball and he fought for it as if he was fighting for his own life. Dennis Rodman was his own God and made and played with his own rules.
Related:“He was a great player but he just made it hard,” Shaquille O’Neal boldly admits Dennis Rodman
The notorious NBA career of the mustang, Dennis Rodman
After their continued success, the Pistons became one of the most dominant teams in the league. It was loaded with Rodman himself, the great Isiah Thomas, John Salley, Joe Dumars, and others. But Dennis was fighting for something else other than championships now. In 1993, he brought a legally registered rifle with him to the Pistons arena. Rodman himself described that time in his own words. “I was at a lost place at that time. That time in my life, that was more of a rescue call and a wake-up call.”
When he was later traded to the San Antonio Spurs, he change his hair color to match Wesley Snipes’ character in the 1993 film, “Demolition Man.” he continued to change his hair color from time to time, but no one really knew why Rodman did that. While Pippen was out in the 1997-98 season, Rodman was off the road and was getting in trouble on the court. Once Jordan tried talking to him, Rodman stayed a best for the entire season. “Dennis was one of the smartest guys I played with,” Jordan said. “He had no limits in terms of what he does.”
Whatever kind of life Rodman had or wanted to live during his NBA stint, it was his own to make or ruin. But if there is anything that remains true about him despite the mayhem of truth and lies, it is, without him, none can imagine, the Pistons’ 2 championships and the Bulls’ last 3-peat. “If you take me away from this team, do you still win a championship?” Rodman pondered about the Bulls’ last 3 championships. “I don’t think so.”
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Nandjee Ranjan
(488 Articles Published)