Dennis Rodman’s parties needed no further introduction but what people had seen and heard may had been just the tip of the iceberg.
In ESPN’s 10-part docuseries “The Last Dance,” modern day hoops fans got the chance to see how wild Dennis Rodman was during his prime. And even to this day, “Worm” is still viewed as a party animal.
In a nutshell, Dennis Rodman parties were crazy. Often times, people didn’t need to hear more as his persona already speaks for itself and nobody outside his circle really detailed how crazy Rodman’s crazy was. Fortunately, two NBA legends who were once invited to come to his party have opened up about it.
Shaquille O’Neal
One thing people don’t know about Rodman is that he never really took things too personal with his peers in the NBA. He might scuffle and jaw with his opponents inside the court but after the game, everyone is welcome to join the party. And of them happened to be Los Angeles Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal.
Rodman and O’Neal were once fierce rivals and teammates in the NBA. In one occasion sometime during Rodman’s short spell with the Lakers, Shaq came to one of his post-game parties. Yes, Rodman did party after games.
Thinking that he wouldn’t mind a good 2-3 hours of unwinding, Shaq walked into an LA club where Rodman had been wilding out. Based on his recollection, Shaq saw “about 30 girls” inside with Rodman and some of them were “taking their tops off.” And since it’s Los Angeles, celebrities were present.
“I’ll give him this: He was funny. Like, he never took a shower after the game. After a hard game playing forty minutes, he’d just put his stuff on and walk right out. Next thing I know, I’d see him at some club that night with about thirty girls on him—those crazy, techno, ecstasy highlight parties. I once walked into one of those parties. Leonardo DiCaprio’s there. Robert Downey, Jr., he’s there. All these cats making weird faces. It’s dark as hell. People are drinking. D. Rod popping Cristal champagne, showing off. A lot of stars. A lot of girls, some of them taking their tops off,” Shaq said via excerpt From: Shaquille O’Neal. “Shaq Talks Back.”
“I just got out of there. Quick,” he continued.
Toni Kukoc
Chicago Bulls legend Toni Kukoc is also one of Rodman’s former teammates who had an unforgettable night out with him.
According to Kukoc, he only partied with Rodman “once” and it never happened again ever. But unlike Shaq, who didn’t want to do it from the get go, Kukoc’s moment of clarity came AFTER the party.
Recounting his experience in a rare interview some years ago, Kukoc admitted that he just “couldn’t keep up” with Rodman. What’s even worse, his bad hangover made him swore to never party again with his then-Bulls teammate.
“It’s a special type of story, and I couldn’t keep up with him,” Kukoc said of Rodman via Volim Hrvatsku YouTube channel. “I partied only once with him because, after that, you need a seven to 10 days recovery period afterward.”
“There were four of us out, and the first thing he ordered for a drink was 40 shots of vodka and ten beers,” he recalled. “I asked him if there are more people coming, and he just said ‘it’s important to keep the bar open.’ Everybody who was at the bar that night, he had free food and drinks on Rodman.”
Looking back at his wild yet legendary life, Rodman confessed that he had let his “demons” took control over him at one point. However, contrary to what many believed, Rodman is certain that his partying wasn’t the “major demon” in his life.
“We all have demons,” Rodman told ESPN. “I’ve had plenty. Alcohol is one of them–everyone knows that. But I think the only major demon I have right now is trying to convince myself that I am a good dad. That’s the worst one for me.”
“And it’s so hard for me for some reason,” he continued. “It’s very hard for me to break out of that cycle, you know. You feel like it’s too late. It’s one of those things where I never had anyone ever want [to love me].”
After parting ways with the Bulls in 1998, Rodman’s NBA career went downward spiral. He played a few games for the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks but nobody took him seriously during those times.
Hate it or love it, Rodman was one helluva of a player and person.
