The Chicago Bulls' second successful three-peat from 1996-98 wouldn't have been possible had Dennis Rodman not apologized to Scottie Pippen prior to joining the squad in 1995.

Although the Bulls were desperate for a defensive presence entering the 95-96 season, the squad was not jumping on the idea of bringing in the infamous Rodman to the fold. The eccentric rebounding machine, after all, terrorized Bulls stars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during Chicago's extremely physical feud against the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons in the late '80s.

Although Rodman also bodied Jordan throughout that rivalry, it was Pippen who he antagonized the most both physically and mentally. That bad blood escalated in Game 4 of the 1991 Eastern Conference finals when Rodman violently pushed Pippen, resulting to a nasty gash that required six stitches to close.

Rodman recalled that heated moment, via ESPN's Jackie MacMullan.

“Yeah, that was quite a push,” the two-time DPOY winner admitted. “At the time, I was frustrated. Our team was losing, so I said, ‘Screw it.' I wasn't trying to hurt him. We were at that point where we knew we couldn't beat Chicago — our time had come and gone — so we kind of surrendered the whole thing in the fourth quarter.”

As much as they despised one another before, Rodman now considers Pippen his “brother” and even claimed that Pip would have been better than LeBron James had they played in the same era. The now amicable relationship wouldn't have come to fruition, had Dennis not lowered his pride, and apologized to Scottie.

“The Worm” remembered the time he was summoned by Bulls GM Jerry Krause to his home to sit down with Jordan, Pippen, and head coach Phil Jackson.

Phil reportedly insisted that Rodman apologize to Pippen if he wants a spot in the Bulls roster.

“I told him, ‘Honestly, I don't really give a damn,'” Rodman shared. “I still had some of the history between us in the back of my mind. Phil told me if I wanted to be part of the team, I had to go inside and apologize to Scottie.”

Pippen was reportedly reluctant to mend fences with the same man who left him with a prominent scar on his chin. He eventually relented and reconciled with the controversial forward. That tender moment eventually led to perhaps the greatest dynasty in professional sports.