Dennis Rodman Pistons jersey raised to the rafters of the Palace

Dennis Rodman Pistons jersey retired, HOF next

Dennis Rodman, the controversial NBA player whose on-court and off-court antics earned him the nicknames "Dennis the Menace and "The Worm", had his number 10 jersey retired yesterday by the Detroit Pistons.

In a ceremony held at halftime of the game between the Detroit Pistons and the visiting Chicago Bulls, an emotional Dennis Rodman watched as his jersey went up the rafters of the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Rodman played for the Pistons as one of the "Bad Boys" who won back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Detroit picked Rodman in the second round of the NBA draft in 1986.

His rebounding prowess and his unpredictability was what had set him apart from most of the other players of his playing days. He holds the record for most consecutive seasons leading the NBA in rebounds with seven.

Dennis Rodman was twice named as Defensive Player of the Year and made the All-Star team twice. He was part of the last title run of the Chicago Bulls who were led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

His outrageous hair colors, tattoos, body piercings, legal troubles and his relationships with women -- including pop legend Madonna -- were also covered heavily by the media.

"It surprises me that my number is getting retired," said Rodman in a pre-game news conference. "I just feel...I don't deserve to have my number retired. Because I didn't do as much as I should have here. I don't know what to say. Whatever."

It  seems everyone else thinks Rodman deserves his number retired by the Pistons. He has also been informed to go to Houston for the announcement of this year's Basketball Hall of Fame class. If inducted into Springfield, it will be a fitting tribute to the career of Dennis Rodman.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Saturday April 02 2011, 9:06 AM EST. Ref: Inquirer. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0