# Dennis Rodman's Number to be Retired by Detroit Pistons **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098 "2011-02-12T02:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/21 "2011-02-14T00:51:56Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > I would argue that Rodman was the best rebounder in the history of the Pistons (as well as their greatest defender). Ben Wallace might have something to say about that, although there’s a decent comparison to be made there. Ben = Dennis? Ben’s certainly more beloved, but his offense was nonexistent. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/22 "2011-02-14T01:00:50Z")
At his very peak, Wallace was a better player than Rodman, but it was a short peak, and he was never a better rebounder. Nobody in the last 40 years can approach what Rodman did on the glass. Even the great ones in their greatest years didn’t quite get to Rodman’s year-to-year level. Even if you’re the type to out-and-out spit in the face of statistics, [this](http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/trb_pct_season.html) is tough to argue with. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/23 "2011-02-14T01:41:05Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > At his very peak, Wallace was a better player than Rodman, but it was a short peak, and he was never a better rebounder. > > Nobody in the last 40 years can approach what Rodman did on the glass. Even the great ones in their greatest years didn’t quite get to Rodman’s year-to-year level. Even if you’re the type to out-and-out spit in the face of statistics, [this](http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/trb_pct_season.html) is tough to argue with. Word. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/24 "2011-02-14T14:52:38Z")
He was great at what he did, and the weird stuff he did to get publicity (or because he was nuts) shouldn’t distract from that. And it’s kind of great that the Pistons are doing this on April Fool’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/25 "2011-02-14T15:04:58Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > And he could effectively guard and lock down 4 positions out of the 5. That is no small feat. The quickness to take on a point guard, the strength and length to handle a power forward - quite a unique thing. Funny enough, the only other player that I could come up off the top of my head with (from the last 30 years or so) that you could say that about would be someone who also rivals Rodman’s looniness - RonRon. Plenty of players are/were very good defending 3 - Jordan, Kobe, Teyshaun Prince, Bruce Bowen to name a few, but 4? I may be missing someone (LBJ?), but no matter, it is a very, very short list. He might be the GOAT with regards to that, the ability to defend 4 positions. By the time he was with the Spurs & Bulls, he was no longer really a lock-down defender any more. He got repeatedly beaten by Robert Horry of all players in the Rockets-Spurs series. The Bulls, of course, already had two shut-down perimeter defenders, so that deficiency didn’t matter any more and his elite rebounding abilities could come to the fore. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/26 "2011-02-14T15:20:55Z")
I think if you follow basketball in last 30 years you got to give Denis respect for his ability, focus and understanding of game of basketball (even though he started relatively late). If not that, then at least look at the numbers. By either observation, he belongs to the top class of basketball players. As for the person, I`m not sure why is everyone referring to his off the court personality as something bad or scandalous. He is one of the coolest guys and not just in basketball – I mean, the guy has personality that does not revolve around basketball. I`ve seen him in interviews a lot (Jay Leno asking him to take off glasses all the time), I read his book, watched the TV movie and I think I have some idea of the events that formed the guy and my conclusion is that he is truly a genuine person with no bad bone in him. Overall, aside from his dedication on the court, he brought much needed fun to NBA. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/27 "2011-02-14T17:29:17Z")
I never liked Rodman, but this is hardly an outrage. Rodman was one of the best ever at what he did (rebounding a defense), he was a key part of the team that brought two NBA titles to Detroit… and let’s not forget that the Pistons are presently run by Joe Dumars, one of Rodman’s teammates. If Dumars thinks Rodman was valuable enough and a good enough teammate to warrant this honor, why should I argue the point? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098/28 "2011-02-14T17:34:18Z")
I wonder if we can pencil Kevin Love in as a future challenger for some of those Rodman statistics, not that it takes anything away from Rodman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dennis-rodmans-number-to-be-retired-by-detroit-pistons/571098.md?page=1)