Isiah Thomas Marvels At Dennis Rodman's Ability To Make Money Off His Maniacal Obsession With Rebounds, Not Points

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Former NBA, Basketball Herren, USA players Isiah Thomas and Denis Rodman attend the American Express Celebrates the Rewarding Life of Earvin Magic Johnson at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on February 12, 2004. | Credits- IMAGO / Newscom World

Unlike many of today's NBA players, Dennis Rodman didn't need a jumper, a deep bag of moves, or a stat line full of 20-point nights. He built a Hall of Fame résumé by crashing the glass with unmatched precision and a sixth sense only he truly understood. Simply put, "The Worm" tracked missed shots like a bloodhound on a scent. Those who watched him play and shared a locker room with him, like Isiah Thomas, are still amazed at the career he pulled off.

Rodman averaged 13.1 rebounds over his 14-year NBA career, led the league in boards seven straight seasons, and collected five NBA championships. He made seven All-Defensive First Teams, won Defensive Player of the Year twice, and cemented his legacy with the Chicago Bulls.

While scorers chased buckets, Rodman hunted bricks -- and turned that hunt into multi-millions. According to reports, Rodman earned approximately $27 million during his career, which translates to about $43 million today. His biggest payday during the 1996-97 season was wearing the classic red, black, and white of the Bulls, pocketing $9 million just for dominating the boards.

Rodman began his NBA journey in the Midwest, launching his career with the Detroit Pistons. As a rookie, he averaged just 4.3 rebounds per game, but rebounding would soon become his calling card. He totaled 6,299 rebounds as a Piston and averaged 11.5 boards across eight seasons in Detroit.

Thomas, Rodman's legendary teammate in Detroit, witnessed the madness up close. During an interview with Ashley Nevel, the ex-Pistons star shared a legendary memory.

Rodman calmly explained, "I'm counting the spins on every player's shot. How many times each ball rotates in the air?" He wasn't joking. He was studying shot trajectories -- mapping out angles and patterns to predict rebounds. That's how he beat everyone to the ball.

"Most guys came to the arena thinking, 'I've got to get 20 points,'" Thomas said. "Dennis said, 'I've got to get 40 rebounds.'"

Rodman's legendary rebounding career was perfectly captured in the famed Netflix docuseries The Last Dance, where he detailed the origins of his rebounding skills. He said,

"I used to have my friends come with me to the gym late at night -- like three or four in the morning. I'd tell them, 'Just shoot the ball.' I practiced a lot, studied the hang time of the ball, and its trajectory. If you've got a guy like Larry Bird, you know the ball is going to spin a certain way. With Magic, maybe it spins differently. When Michael shoots from one spot, I'd position myself just right. I'd read the shot: it's going up -- click -- then it comes off this way. I follow it here, click, over that way -- boom -- click, it goes this way, not that way."

Rodman turned rebounding into a science. He studied spins, angles, and tendencies until securing boards became second nature.

Rodman is regarded as a legend today, but he was not destined to be great. In fact, when he joined the NBA, he had little passion for succeeding in the league. That was until Thomas talked some sense into him.

"What changed my whole life is when Isiah Thomas came to me one day," Rodman said. "He pulled me over and hit me in the chest so damn hard, and he said, 'You know, Dennis, this is not a game. This is not a joke. We want to win a championship. You've got to get your act together, get your *** together, and get your head focused...."

Without Rodman's spark being ignited, the game of basketball may have never witnessed his talent for rebounding blossom into something extraordinary.