David Robinson admitted that he did not have a great relationship with Dennis Rodman when they were teammates with the San Antonio Spurs in the 1990s. Robinson, however, respected his fellow Hall-of-Famer for the unique player that he was and what he brought to the game.
The two superstars played together in San Antonio from 1993 to 1995. While they delivered on the court from their respective ends, they were not the best of teammates, stemming primarily from their contrasting personalities.
While “The Admiral” was disciplined and reserved, Rodman was more unpredictable and defiant of authority. It often made them overly critical of one another, which ultimately hurt the team in the long run.
In an interview with sportswriter Sam Smith for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, Robinson shared his thoughts on Rodman as a teammate, highlighting that while their partnership was not ideal, Rodman’s talent was undeniably great.
“If you’ve been around Dennis a little bit, you kind of see disaster coming. But as a basketball player, he was truly unique. I wouldn’t call him the best teammate I ever had. But if you’re building a team, you’d want to have him on your team for what he brings,” Robinson said.
Spurs teammates
Rodman joined the Spurs in 1993 after playing his first seven years in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, with which he won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.
It was around that time that a marked change in Rodman’s ways began showing up. He started dyeing his hair bright colors, getting tattoos and piercings and wearing unconventional clothing.
With the Spurs, Rodman had his stellar rebounding years, averaging a career-best 17.1 rebounds to go along with relatively modest 5.6 points.
However, his eccentric ways, coupled with the team’s lack of playoff success, wore out Rodman’s welcome, leading him to be shipped out of The Alamo.
“It could have worked, but it didn’t work. I’m thinking to myself, thank God we didn’t win a championship in San Antonio. I thank my lucky stars. Because if I would have won a championship with San Antonio, I still would have been there…”Rodman told USA Today of his stay in San Antonio.
Finding success
Following his stint with the Spurs, Rodman landed with the Chicago Bulls, where he found himself in the company of coach Phil Jackson and teammate Michael Jordan, who were able to handle his unconventional ways and bring out the best in him.
He won three straight NBA titles with the Bulls from 1996 to 1998, bringing his total to five championships and securing his place in the Hall of Fame.
Robinson, too, found success after parting ways with Rodman. In 1997, he was joined by Tim Duncan in San Antonio. With their personalities more in sync than Rodman’s, the Spurs played better and became one of the greatest dynasties ever.
The Spurs won two NBA titles (1999 and 2003) with their twin towers before Robinson called it a career in 2003.
Robinson and Rodman may not have been the best of teammates and had it tense during their time with the Spurs, but they have remained respectful of one another, which, all told, is the way it is supposed to be.
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