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Rodman earns his place in Hall of Fame

The outrageous outfits and tabloid tales guaranteed Dennis Rodman fame long after he finished running with the Bulls. Rodman, 50, will be recognized for his often-overlooked accomplishments on the court Friday when he is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Mullin, the 11th member of the famed 1992 Dream Team to earn enshrinement as an individual.

Dennis Rodman is a member of the 2011 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class. (Beth A. Keiser/AP file photo)
Dennis Rodman is a member of the 2011 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class. (Beth A. Keiser/AP file photo)Read more
    Inquirer
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The outrageous outfits and tabloid tales guaranteed Dennis Rodman fame long after he finished running with the Bulls.

Rodman, 50, will be recognized for his often-overlooked accomplishments on the court Friday when he is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Mullin, the 11th member of the famed 1992 Dream Team to earn enshrinement as an individual.

The other inductees in Springfield, Mass., will be Philadelphia University's Herb Magee and fellow coaching greats Tex Winter and Tara VanDerveer; big men Artis Gilmore and Arvydas Sabonis; eight-time NBA champion Tom "Satch" Sanders of the Boston Celtics; five-time Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards; and the late Reece "Goose" Tatum of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Rodman probably is better known for wearing a wedding dress than a Detroit or Chicago uniform. But beneath the piercings and tattoos was someone serious about his basketball, and only a few have won more often than he did since entering the NBA a quarter-century ago as a second-round pick of the Pistons.

"If anyone has a problem with Dennis Rodman, all you've got to do is look at the record," he said in a phone interview.

He went 636-275, a .698 winning percentage that since his career started has been bettered only by San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan, according to Stats LLC. Rodman led the league in rebounding an NBA-record seven consecutive seasons, won consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, and won back-to-back titles with the Pistons before adding three in a row with the Bulls.

    Inquirer