Hall of Fame forward Dennis Rodman — the focus of Episode 3 of “The Last Dance — was a member of the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons teams at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, so he knows a thing or two about physical play on the hardwood.
Rodman's entire career was blue collar in nature. He scrapped for loose balls and got in the mind of his opponents while absolutely decimating opposing teams on the glass.
With that being said, Rodman reflected on his approach to the game and revealed in “The Last Dance” that he wanted to “feel pain” when he played.
“I wanna go out there and get my nose broke, I wanna go out there and get cut… Something that's really going to bring out the hurt, the pain, I want to feel that,” the former Chicago Bulls star said in the highly popular docu-series about The Windy City franchise.
Indeed, Dennis Rodman irked his opponents with his physical play and gamesmanship.
“The Worm” wanted to impose his will by any means necessary. He might have been undersized at the power forward position, but he was not afraid to mix it up with bigger players. Rodman was not even intimidated by the likes of Shaquille O'Neal.
Rodman's approach helped him become one of the best defensive players in the history of the game. He was named to eight All-Defensive teams and won a pair of Defensive Player of the Year awards while also winning a record seven consecutive rebounding titles.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were more graceful in their brand of basketball. Rodman was more hard-nosed in nature, but his commitment to that style led him to enshrinement at Springfield. Hopefully, fans will be able to see more of The Worm and his play in “The Last Dance.”