Dennis Rodman and 'pull'

Dennis Rodman in the Hall of Fame? Never thought I'd see it. I figured the voters would say "one-dimensional" when they really mean "weirdo." I figured the committee would rather put in a humble, team player than the guy who kicked a photographer, married several wacky celebrities (including himself, I think) and did photo shoots in drag.


So, how did he get in?

 If you've ever met an A&R rep, they'll tell you about "it." Ask a director. Ask an artist. They know. Joe Dumars and John Sally reflected on Rodman's skill calling it "heart." But "heart" is played. Rodman was a tormented artist. Rodman had cut-your-ear-off "it."

"It" can mean agility, speed or vision like a vocalist with range, charisma and pitch. "The Worm" had more than that.

Rodman grabbed rebounds like Jack sung in The Jazz Singer - with a "pull." If you've seen the movie, you know that the singer was driven toward stardom by his father's rejection. Rodman played driven by his difficult upbringing and the one-note song in his head singing that he could have been better.

The 6-foot-6 power forward told Detroit fans last week as much in an emotional speech at the Palace. As his jersey rose to the rafters, Rodman sunk into tears, saying he wished he could have done more for the Pistons. As if two championships and 18 rebounds per game weren't enough.

Back in the 90s, he tracked down rebounds like the next one might bring him eternal happiness. Of course, it didn't. Off the floor, Rodman famously sat in the parking lot outside the Palace with a loaded shotgun contemplating suicide.

Precisely why I'm shocked he was elected to the Hall of Fame. Judge-and-jury writers don't forget things like that. Bob Young of the Arizona Republic asked, "is this the type of guy we want in the Hall of Fame?"

You mean the player whose rebound percentage dwarfs that of Wilt Chamberlain? You mean a forward who hustled and battled the best - and often much larger - forwards on his way to five championships? That type? No. Young meant the off-the-court Dennis Rodman he'll never know or understand. Young meant that we have the right to judge a Hall of Famer as more than a basketball player, but as a man.

Problem is: a man is a hell of a lot more than his mistakes.

But Rodman became his mistakes. His play was overshadowed by his antics - and I guess for some it still is. By no means think we should ignore The Worm's torment. You could even make the argument that Rodman's demons, like Jack's father or Van Gogh's insanity, helped make him a phenomenal basketball player. But I don't know Dennis. All I know is he had "it." All I know is he belongs in the Hall of Fame.