"Nothing changed" - Dennis Rodman on becoming Michael Jordan's No. 2 without Scottie Pippen
Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman
© Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC
The Chicago Bulls' quest for a second three-peat hit a snag after Scottie Pippen's decision to delay his surgery in the 1997 offseason caused him to miss the first two months of the 1997-98 campaign. Without arguably the NBA's best sidekick, Michael Jordan had to carry a bigger load on offense.
By default, Dennis Rodman had become MJ's best teammate then. The enigmatic Hall of Famer was recently asked what changed for Chicago then, to which he had a confident response.
"Nothing changed," Rodman exclaimed. "We just kept winning."
Going 24-11 without Scottie
As Rodman said, the Bulls found ways to rack up the wins without Pippen. At first, it seemed like Chicago was on its way to a disappointing start to the season after dropping seven of its first 15 contests.
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However, things finally clicked for the Bulls, especially after Rodman was reinserted into the starting lineup. Jordan continued to lead the way on offense, with occasional help from teammates such as Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, and Luc Longley. But it was on defense where the team made its mark. "The Worm" was his usual pesky self, grabbing 15.5 rebounds per game in Pippen's absence.
The Bulls recovered and ran to a 24-11 record while Pippen was recovering from his surgery. They eventually finished the regular season as the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 record.
Finishing the three-peat
That season was quite eventful for Chicago. Of course, Pip's predicament could have been avoided if the star forward had just undergone surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his ankle as soon as the offseason began. However, he said that he didn't want to "fu*k up his summer" by recovering and rehabbing.
Instead, Scottie opted to do whatever he wanted in the offseason and deferred the surgery. It's an open secret that Pippen's decision stemmed from his contract dispute with Jerry Krause.
Rodman also had his fair share of shenanigans in the 1997-98 season. One of them was when he skipped practice during the NBA Finals to participate in a wrestling show alongside Hulk Hogan. Hilariously enough, his $20,000 fine wasn't even 10% of what he earned from the appearance.
Fortunately for Jordan and the Bulls, the squad was able to withstand all the challenges and "kept winning" on its way to a successful title defense.
