Dennis Rodman Named His Pick for the Toughest NBA Player in History

When thinking about eccentric athletes, one of the first who comes to mind is former Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons star Dennis Rodman. Everything from his appearance to playstyle to off-court exploits was more than a little odd at times, but make no mistake: Rodman is one of the greatest players of all-time.

Dennis only averaged 7.3 points per game in his 14-year career, but was a very valuable player on five championship teams between the Pistons and Bulls. There’s arguably never been a player who affected the game more without scoring double-digit points than Rodman did.

Rodman posted double-digit points in a season just once and never in any of his playoff runs. In his three seasons with the Bulls, in which he won three titles, he never scored more than 5.7 points per game. So, why is he a no-doubt Hall of Famer and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team?

The eclectic Rodman was a superstar in his own role as an energy guy, rebounder, and defender. There has perhaps never been a player who played his specific role better than Dennis did in the 1980s and 90s. He led the league in rebounding seven straight years, won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and his 13.1 rebounds per game ranks 11th all-time.

Rodman was a fabulous defender because of his effort and intelligence on the floor, seeing angles that most players could only dream of. However, he makes it clear that there was one guy who made his life difficult when guarding him, which is rare praise from a man who never struggled on defense.

Rodman Admits That One Player Was Difficult To Guard

Who could possibly earn the high honor of being called the toughest player for Rodman to guard, by the man himself? Well, in 2021, he appeared on the Straight Talk program to discuss his career over a variety of topics. Rodman was asked about which of a group of three 90s superstars he struggled the most with: Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, or Karl Malone.

The obvious answer seems to be Shaquille O’Neal, who was in his prime athletic years with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of Rodman’s career. Shaq, who’s known as the most physically dominant player of all-time because of his sheer size and strength, should have been a problem for Rodman, who wasn’t the biggest player.

Standing at just six-foot-seven (which makes his rebounding exploits even more impressive), Dennis should’ve had no chance against the freight train that was O’Neal. However, according to Rodman, he was the only player who Shaq struggled with.

Unfortunately, while he did make things tough for Shaq, Rodman is practicing some revisionist history here. In 12 games against Rodman from 1992-1998, The Big Diesel averaged 26.8 points and 13.4 rebounds on 54% from the field. He did just fine, but the two-time DPOY claims that he could hold him down.

As for Alonzo Mourning, who was a superstar center for the Miami Heat, Rodman dismissed him as well. Although he was much bigger than the 210-pound Rodman, he “didn’t worry” about Mourning. According to him, Alonzo simply hated the former Pistons/Bulls star.

No, the guy who Rodman could never quite figure out was The Mailman, Karl Malone.

As always, Dennis explains his feelings in an out-of-the-box manner, without saying much at all. But it’s clear that he respected the game of Malone, whose footwork in the post and Superman body is what allowed him to land third all-time on the total points list.

The numbers back it up: Malone averaged 27.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 30 games vs. Rodman in his career. He consistently dominated the matchup, and Dennis could never quite figure him out.

It’s amusing to hear the eccentric center stretch the truth about his playing days, but that comes with the territory.

Malone is One of the Greatest Scorers Ever

Dennis Rodman wasn’t the only lockdown defender who Malone consistently terrorized in his 19 years. You don’t score 36,928 points by accident, and his 25.02 points per game average is 15th all-time. Malone had 18 straight years of 20-plus points per game from his second year to his penultimate season in the league.

Malone was a 14-time All-Star and All-NBA member and won two league MVPs. He remains one of the most polished inside the arc scorers ever, with impeccable skills facing or posting up a defender. Rodman was never able to crack the code on how to stop him.