Why didn't Dennis Rodman work out well for the Lakers in 1999?

[Duncan21formvp]

The team already had stars and were legit championship team, why didn't it work out well or what was Rodman doing to cause the Lakers to waive him?


February 23, 1999: Signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers.

April 16, 1999: Waived by the Los Angeles Lakers.

[Clippersfan86]

He was being judged by his off the court antics. I mean his numbers and contribution was there..

[Rowe]

The team already had stars and were legit championship team, why didn't it work out well or what was Rodman doing to cause the Lakers to waive him?

Many people forget that this was the season before Phil Jackson arrived.

Lakers waived him because he was being a distraction on & off the court because he had nobody there to check him. He challenged the authority of management & Kurt Rambis, who was the interim coach at the time. If Phil were there, that move would never have been made. In fact, they would've won the title that year.

That 1999 Lakers team was more talented than the following Lakers Championship teams.

[Droid101]

He was being judged by his off the court antics. I mean his numbers and contribution was there..
Yep, this.

The Lakers had the same record as the Spurs up until Rodman was cut. I'm convinced they'd have a four-peat if they didn't cut Rodman.

He was averaging around his career average in rebound rate (which means, way better than anyone else ever) and helped the Lakers win.

[Rowe]

He was being judged by his off the court antics. I mean his numbers and contribution was there..
Yep.

Same ol' Rodman, except he didnt have anyone there who respected his own unique way of doing things. Ironically, he moved to LA to play for the Lakers and hes lived there ever since. I might be wrong tho.

One of the examples of how you can go from being in your prime to being out of the NBA due to being blackballed. If Rodman had played for Phil, he honestly could've squeezed out another 3-5 seasons well into his 40's for how he played.

[D.J.]

Management couldn't handle him. They got fed up with his antics and cut him, which proved to be a big mistake because it cost them a potential title. They were actually considered a contender with Rodman. When they lost to the Jazz in the WCF the year before, Malone was abusing Horry, Blount, and Campbell. That combined with Shaq being contained was the reason Utah destroyed them.

Fast forward a year, Rodman gave the Lakers some interior help, which they desperately needed. Outside of Shaq, they were weak. They cut Rodman and it was basically a repeat of '98. Rodman would have been so much help against Duncan and Robinson.

[Rowe]

Yep, this.

The Lakers had the same record as the Spurs up until Rodman was cut. I'm convinced they'd have a four-peat if they didn't cut Rodman.

He was averaging around his career average in rebound rate (which means, way better than anyone else ever) and helped the Lakers win.

Jackson wasnt the coach.

Rambis was serving as the interim coach then. A lot of people forget that.

[Nick Young]

he was an idiot, I remember so many Ts and stupid shit like him lying on tables and being a moron in general. But those were fun times, the rambis year.

If I remember there was a period where Shaq and Kobe were both injured and Rodman was our star player, that was when he did the most stupid shit, but he played well for us apart from his horrible freethrow shooting

[Duncan21formvp]

he was an idiot, I remember so many Ts and stupid shit like him lying on tables and being a moron in general. But those were fun times, the rambis years.

If I remember there was a period where Shaq and Kobe were both injured and Rodman was our star player, that was when he did the most stupid shit, but he played well for us apart from his horrible freethrow shooting

See I can understand the following year when he was with Dallas, but if he was doing this stuff in LA it made no sense since LA was actually a championship caliber team and one of the favorites.

[guy]

He was old and still crazy and he didn't seem to have the motivation anymore. There was no mature leaders on that team that could keep him in check like Phil/MJ/Scottie.

Pippen actually tried to come to the Lakers before signing with Houston, but I think the Bulls didn't like what was coming back to them in a sign and trade. Its an interesting what if on what could've happened if Pippen, Rodman, and Phil all ended up on the Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. I also wonder if this would've enticed Jordan to come back and play for the Lakers. Imagine that. Shaq/Rodman/Pippen/Jordan/Kobe coached by Phil. Even with those 3 being in there late 30s, they would've still been dominant.

[rodman91]

Lakers got much better with addition of Rodman.They were struggling before him and they got 17-6.

He got 11.2 rpg in 28.6 mpg

In 12 games he played more than 30 minutes per game, 15.2 rpg in 35.4 mpg. At 37 years old :bowdown:

He was more accepted in teams like Pistons,Bulls. Also he was controlled under coaches like Daly, Jackson and players like Jordan & Pippen.

How about Mavericks? Only 12 games but...

Rodman had 14.3 rpg in 32.4 minutes at 38 years old.This year, Dwight Howard had 14.1 rpg in 37.5 mpg at 25 years old.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq3u2dBiUa1qh9on4o1_500.jpg

[32Dayz]

Rodman = GOAT Rebounder + Defender.

However I just read a story in a Book I have about him failing to step out to the perimeter to guard Robert Horry in some playoff series because he was so deadset on grabbing every rebound.

[Solid Snake]

I just remember hearing a report that Rodman showed up to practice with just socks on, no shoes, and that apparently was the final straw and that's the day he got cut.

[AMISTILLILL]

Rodman had 14.3 rpg in 32.4 minutes at 38 years old.This year, Dwight Howard had 14.1 rpg in 37.5 mpg at 25 years old.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq3u2dBiUa1qh9on4o1_500.jpg

:bowdown: :bowdown:

[eliteballer]

Knicks should hire Rodman or Barkley to teach Amare rebounding.

[DuMa]

what rodman had. you cant teach that hunger for the ball.

[Jasper]

The team already had stars and were legit championship team, why didn't it work out well or what was Rodman doing to cause the Lakers to waive him?

Didn't the Lakers draft a nut case already , and didn't want to deal with two conflicting personality's :confusedshrug:

[Micku]

1. Management. They didn't like his attitude basically. A lot of teams didn't want to deal with him even though he was a great rebounder. He was unpredictable.

2. Rodman also didn't like the Laker's lockerroom, and they probably didn't get along. He said that there were either too much ego or everybody were in for themselves or something like that.

He was breaking down and almost in tears when he said that. Could be for show or he was too emotional. There was a youtube vid with it. But I think there were some articles about him tearing up:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_15_95/ai_54727755/

[Kobe 4 The Win]

I think he was really ****ed up with Carmen Electra at that time. He was drinking and partying it up and it wasn't good for his mental state. He didn't like the locker room shit going on and Rambis was a new head coach that wasn't strong enough to keep him in check. That team was stacked. I really wish they would have kept Dennis. To this day Rodman loves Jerry Buss and he even mentioned his freindship during his hall of fame speech.

[swi7ch]

Knicks should hire Rodman or Barkley to teach Amare rebounding.

World will end if Amare ever finds out there is more to basketball than scoring. :eek:

[markymark]

Didn't the Lakers draft a nut case already , and didn't want to deal with two conflicting personality's :confusedshrug:

Nutcase or not, Rodman was an absolute beast. The type of player who could will a team to a title.

[32Dayz]

Nutcase or not, Rodman was an absolute beast. The type of player who could will a team to a title.

True but in his later years he became a bit stat obsessed specifically with getting his rebounds and would at times not come out to guard his man on the perimeter because of that.

Still he was one of the most unique players ever, ridiculous a man of his size being so Dominant on the glass.

[G-Funk]

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Dennis Rodman's seven-week career with the Los Angeles Lakers has come to an abrupt end -- no big surprise considering his recent behavior.

Rodman reacted to being released Thursday night by calling himself a scapegoat for the team's problems, and said the Lakers were "cowards not to take the fall for some of the things that have happened this year."

The Lakers issued a statement saying they were finished with Rodman in the wake of another in a long list of incidents involving the eccentric forward earlier in the day.

Desperate to win their first NBA title since 1988, the Lakers figured Rodman, a member of five championship teams,including the last three with the Chicago Bulls, was just what they needed to put them over the top.

In his final game, they bottomed out, losing 113-86 at Portland on Tuesday night.

But that wasn't the last straw. That apparently occurred when Rodman, according to coach Kurt Rambis, showed up late for the team's practice at Los Angeles Southwest College on Thursday morning, and was slow getting ready because he couldn't find his socks and shoes.

Rambis later told reporters he told Rodman to go home, and said the team was through with its special treatment of the NBA's leading rebounder in each of the last seven seasons.

"At this time we feel it's in the best interests of the Lakers to end the relationship," Lakers vice president Jerry West said in the statement issued Thursday night. "This obviously didn't work out like we had hoped, but we would like to thank Dennis for the contributions he did make to the team and wish him the best of luck in the future."

Rodman's Lakers chronology
Highlights of the seven-week Dennis Rodman era with the Lakers:
Feb. 23 - signs one-year contract with Lakers.
Feb. 26 - Rodman grabs 11 rebounds and six assists in his Lakers debut, a 99-83 victory over the Clippers. "I can't say enough about how impressed I am," says Shaquille O'Neal. The very next day he arrives late for practice.
March 13 - After missing practice, Rodman does not travel with the Lakers as they begin a six-game road trip in Sacramento. He returns eight days later, citing only "personal problems" he had to tend to, but was spotted partying in Las Vegas during the absence. "I'll be here the rest of the season," says Rodman. "I've used up my hall pass."
March 27 - The day after sitting out the last 16 minutes of a loss to Sacramento, Rodman misses practice. He does show up afterwards and meets with coach Kurt Rambis for 30 minutes. Rambis says "he felt good after their talk." He not only plays the next day against the Knicks but gets Kurt Thomas and Chris Dudley so frustrated as to bring about their ejections.
April 9 - Rodman declines to play the fourth quarter of a loss to Minnesota, citing muscle stiffness, and shows up an hour late to practice the next day. Three days later he sits out the second half of a loss to the Blazers, claiming he had tendinitis in the elbow.
April 15 - After showing up late to a morning practice, Rambis sends Rodman home. That night he is waived.
Rodman, who turns 38 next month, signed with the Lakers on Feb. 23 and played his first game three days later. He averaged 2.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 28.6 minutes.

The Lakers won their first 11 games with Rodman in uniform, but were 6-6 since that time with him playing. They are 8-9 without him.

Rodman told Fox Sports News late Thursday night that the Lakers "have to have a fall guy, and I'm basically the fall guy."

"A lot of people will criticize my attitude and my dedication to the game of basketball, but, you know, it doesn't surprise me," he said. "I didn't really miss practices. Today, I didn't miss practice. Today, he [Rambis] asked me, 'Do you need treatment?' I was there 10 minutes early before practice, and he told me to take the day off and all of a sudden I'm like, great, you know? "... I wanted to come here and win and play here. It didn't turn out that way. I don't know what I'm going to do right know. It's one of those deals. If they want to make me the fall guy, I will be the fall guy. I don't expect anything else."

Rodman did say he wanted to apologize to fans in Los Angeles, adding, "I hope that they don't look at me as a bad individual. I hope I'm still loved by people here in the state of California."

Rodman also said he would consider playing for another team this season.

"It depends on if somebody wants to take a chance on having a guy like me on a team that can win a championship, I will go and play with them," he said.

After reportedly refusing to return to a game in the fourth quarter on March 12 because his right elbow was sore, Rodman was late to practice the following day, and when he did show up, he said he needed time off to deal with personal problems.

He missed four games before returning eight days later for a nationally televised game in Orlando. While he was gone, he was spotted gambling in Las Vegas.

Rodman's paid leave of absence perhaps stemmed from problems with his wife, actress Carmen Electra, although he denied that upon his return.

However, Rodman and Electra announced jointly April 6 they had filed for divorce.

According to Rambis, Rodman also refused to return to games in the fourth quarter on March 26 and last Friday, saying his muscles had tightened up. He was late for practice the following day both times.

Rodman didn't play in the second half in Portland on Tuesday night, claiming he had an injured elbow. He had four rebounds in 13 minutes before being taken out with 2:31 left before halftime.

The Lakers didn't practice Wednesday, setting the stage for Thursday's incident.

"You want to know the truth? I was shocked when they put him on their team," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said after his team beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-89 Thursday night for its ninth straight victory.

The Jazz, who beat the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last spring, will attempt to extend the winning streak against the Lakers on Saturday night in a nationally televised game at the Delta Center.

"From what I heard, Jerry West didn't have much to do with it [bringing Rodman in]," Sloan said. "I understand someone else wanted him, so they got him."

Sloan was referring to Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Clippers guard Sherman Douglas said the Lakers knew what they were getting when they signed Rodman.

"What did you expect? Did he do anything differently than he did before? No," Douglas said. "He used to miss practice, he used to irritate people, still does. "I guess the Lakers weren't ready for that. That's why they got rid of him, plain and simple."

[Duncan21formvp]

Lakers got much better with addition of Rodman.They were struggling before him and they got 17-6.

He got 11.2 rpg in 28.6 mpg

In 12 games he played more than 30 minutes per game, 15.2 rpg in 35.4 mpg. At 37 years old :bowdown:

He was more accepted in teams like Pistons,Bulls. Also he was controlled under coaches like Daly, Jackson and players like Jordan & Pippen.

How about Mavericks? Only 12 games but...

Rodman had 14.3 rpg in 32.4 minutes at 38 years old.This year, Dwight Howard had 14.1 rpg in 37.5 mpg at 25 years old.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq3u2dBiUa1qh9on4o1_500.jpg

Almost wierd seeing Rodman give Dirk advice in this picture.

[rodman91]

Almost wierd seeing Rodman give Dirk advice in this picture.
GOAT Mentor :roll:
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/Dirk%20-%20Dirty.jpg
http://drunkathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/steve-nash-dirk-nowitzki-2-drunk-pictures1.jpg
http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmqt2hUaxx1qz7d0ro1_500.jpg