Dennis Rodman apologized to Michael Jordan without saying a word.
Dennis Rodman was no stranger when it came to getting into trouble with the referees and was ejected quite a few times during his career. One particular ejection of his infuriated Michael Jordan, however, and even Rodman knew he messed up. Jordan once recounted how Rodman apologized to him without speaking a word.
“So around that time, we had a game, and he gets kicked out for some s***,” Jordan said on The Last Dance. “And I am livid, because you get kicked out of the game and leaves me out there by myself because Scottie’s (Pippen) not playing.”
Jordan was referring to the 1997-98 season when Pippen missed the first 35 games of the campaign.
“Dennis knew he f***ed up,” Jordan continued. “He knew he screwed up. I hear someone knocking on the door at the hotel. Now, Dennis never comes to my room, and he comes in and says, ‘Man you got an extra cigar?’
“He didn’t say an apology, he didn’t say anything,” Jordan added. “But by him coming to my room, it was his way of saying, Look, man, I f***ed up.’ And from that point on, Dennis was straight as an arrow.”
Rodman would have known how important it was for the Chicago Bulls that he kept his cool, with Pippen being out. He realized he made a mistake and that was his way of apologizing for it.
The best way to make up for that mistake was with his actions on the court, and as Jordan says, Rodman was great after that incident.
Pippen would eventually return in January of that season, and the trio would go on to win the championship. It was their third title in a row, but it also spelled the end of the trio’s time in Chicago, as they all departed after the season.
Rodman finished his Bulls career with averages of 5.2 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in three seasons. The numbers weren’t amazing, but he had a big impact on the court.
Phil Jackson Once Asked Dennis Rodman To Apologize To Scottie Pippen
Rodman started his career with the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons and had many battles with Jordan and Pippen. One of the more infamous clashes came in the 1991 playoffs when a flagrant foul by Rodman led to Pippen requiring six stitches on his chin.
Fast-forward to 1996, and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year was headed to Chicago. Before he signed with the Bulls, though, head coach Phil Jackson asked Rodman to apologize to Pippen for his actions in 1991.
Rodman agreed to do it, and well, the rest is history.
