Episodes 3 and 4 of “The Last Dance” showcased the arrival of Dennis Rodman, his backstory and the Chicago Bulls' timing to trade for him. At the time, Rodman was coming off four straight seasons as the NBA's rebounding leader, and general manager Jerry Krause was visibly conflicted about making a deal to acquire him.

Bulls assistant GM Jim Stack ultimately highlighted some of Rodman's virtues, believing he would fall in line and leave his antics at the door under the leadership of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Krause rolled the dice on Rodman, and he quickly grew to appreciate his contributions, as his unpublished memoir details.

Via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:

If God gave me the ability to construct the perfect rebounder, I’d want quick feet on a tall, wide-shouldered frame, strong-legged, good hands, quick jumper and a mean streak that never shut down.
In other words, I’d want Dennis Rodman, the best rebounder I’ve ever seen. Sure, I’d look at Paul Silas first and then Charles Oakley. But eventually I’d settle on Rodman and then put him on the floor for 45 minutes a game for a bunch of years and enjoy.

I had the privilege of working with Silas for a few years in Phoenix and drafting and working with Oakley for a few years. And then, because we were desperate for another great rebounder and because we were secure enough to take chances, I had the joy of watching the best of the best be a key factor in three championships.

If you’re a skeptic, you’ll say, ‘Rodman was nuts, a showman, not a player, a disgrace to the game, a non-scorer who only could rebound, a player who habitually wore out his welcome and moved on.’

If you’re an optimist, you’ll say, ‘He was a little goofy but in a positive way, a master at a skill that’s crucial to winning games, a guy who learned to play the team game.’

If you’re me, you’d say that he was a great team player, one of the most intelligent basketball players ever, a 6-foot-8-inch player with the ability to defend anybody from 6-2 guards to 7-2 centers. He was a player who in three years for us never hurt anybody but himself. He was a kind, giving person, a human being who learned what it took to make money and took advantage of it—-which last time I looked was called the American way.

Dennis is basically a simple person, with few real wishes and desires. Give him love and affection, be honest with him, provide him with some security and give him enough room to roam and he’ll go to war for you. Hurt him by not showing him you care and he’ll rear back like a cornered animal, trying not to hurt you but to get away from you and go off someplace and heal his wounds.

The tattoos and the hair color and the cross-dressing stunts are not the real Dennis I know. They were just a way for him to separate from the pack. To me, he was simply one of the most fundamentally sound players I’ve ever been around.

Rodman was what Krause always wanted, just disguised under a persona of chaos and wild antics.

Choosing to look at the basketball side of Rodman proved to be the right move, as his contributions would be the missing piece that unlocked the Bulls' second three-peat with Dennis commanding the frontcourt.