Tristan Thompson is happy that he's now with the Chicago Bulls. After all, he sees it as a chance to make Dennis Rodman proud, as the NBA legend has always been a role model on the court for him.
The Bulls big man said as much after debuting for the Windy City franchise on Thursday, highlighting how he wants to be a “star in his role” like what he did when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers during their several NBA Finals runs. He added that he looks up to the way Rodman played and basically, “everything he did.”
“He was the first person I believe in this league in NBA history to be a star in their role,” Thompson said of Rodman, per The News & Observer. “I remember saying that exact quote, saying ‘be a star in a role' when we were on those runs in Cleveland, making those championship runs. He was definitely the definition of being a star in a role and that was something that I wanted to embody in my game.
“The fact that I’m able to put on a Chicago Bulls jersey and just go out there and try to make Dennis proud — that’s all I’m trying to do.”
This is certainly what Bulls fans want to hear from their new center, especially since they are aiming to contend for a championship with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine leading the way.
Of course some might say that Tristan Thompson is far from the imposing presence that Dennis Rodman was for the Bulls. Others might even argue that he's not the same scrappy and highly physical player like Rodman during his heydays. However, Chicago is not asking him to be a star player or a daily double-double threat night in and night out.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers champion is with the Bulls to back up Nikola Vucevic, and by the looks of it, he knows what his role is. On Thursday, he was solid in his debut with 11 points and six rebounds in 13 mins of action.
Hopefully, Thompson can really make Rodman proud with his play. Perhaps a championship with the team at the end of the season will do the trick.
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