Dennis Rodman and Great Sporting Mavericks

In the wake of his features in The Last Dance, we take a look at some of Dennis Rodman's most iconic moments and other successful bad-boys from the world of sport.

Dennis Rodman and Hulk Hogan on the Jay Leno Show, 1998

Image from Getty/ Margaret Norton

In a world where sports stars have become increasingly media trained and robotic, the glorious frivolity of Rodman shown in The Last Dance had us thinking about some of the greatest mavericks to grace our sporting stages. Rodman himself certainly holds down a spot in the pantheon of such characters with his catalogue of baffling anecdotes; he famously disappeared to Las Vegas in the middle of the 1997 NBA Finals, reportedly fornicated with model Carmen Electra in all corners of the Chicago Bulls' Practice Facility during their short lived matrimony, fractured his penis on a concerning three separate occasions and has even developed a complicated friendship with Kim Jong Un during his retirement to name but a few.

Rodman also represents something of a pioneer with regards to his fashion sense- he owned the androgynous look long before Kid Cudi at Coachella or Odell Beckham Junior, and the leopard print hat and sandals seen above from 1998 would not look out of place in 2020. Such thinking can demonstrate the value of mavericks in sport- not only do they bring colour and entertainment to a world sometimes devoid of personality but also a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to their actual sporting arena- for example, 'The Worm' was unique in his understanding of how the ball would likely spin off the rim and positioned himself appropriately, and such outside of the box thinking resulted in him being arguably the most dynamic rebounder in basketball history while accumulating 5 championship rings in the process. He also was renowned as a fierce defender, with a hustle and physicality which made him a nightmare matchup for even the GOAT Michael Jordan at the end of the 1990s before they teamed up.

Rodman at the VMAs in 1995, MTV

However, it is clear that Rodman was a complex individual who struggled immensely with his emotions, somewhat unsurprisingly given how difficult his childhood was. His father left home when he was very young, and young Dennis felt overwhelmed in an all female household where he was often the butt of the joke, especially as his older sisters were more successful athletically at school. Rodman's personal troubles appeared most notably at the end of his Detroit Pistons run when the organisation had begun to trade away some of his teammates he had become close with. In particular, he struggled with the resignation of coach Chuck Daly who had been a surrogate father figure to him as he developed in the team and won the first two of his Championships. In February of 1993, he was found asleep in his car in the parking lot of the Detroit team's arena with a gun in his car- he had fortunately fallen asleep listening to Pearl Jam having planned to commit suicide that evening. Interestingly, Rodman developed a strong relationship with the members of the band after this incident and was seen partying with them after the 1998 title win, and the album artwork for their 1996 release 'No Code' features a close up of Rodman's eyeball in another peculiar turn of events for this enigmatic character. It was in the wake of these darkest moments that Rodman met and become involved with Madonna, who encouraged him to push his personality more and to be himself.It would be fair to say this was a message that was wholeheartedly taken on board.

Rodman's well remembered success with the Chicago Bulls was doubtlessly contributed to by coach Phil Jackson and Jordan's own capacity to understand and accept the wildness of Dennis' character. After the Last Dance was over and the victorious 1998 season came to an end, Rodman's career spiralled rapidly. He played just 23 games for the LA Lakers in the shortened 1999 season where it was widely reported that his focus was much more on the dazzling lights of the city than any basketball matters, before finishing his NBA career at the Dallas Mavericks where he was released after a number of behavioural incidents on and off the court in a miserable spell of just 12 games.

It was at this point that Rodman launched himself into the bizarre world of professional wresting, teaming up frequently with Hulk Hogan and his New World Order stable of wrestlers for three years which involved a whole host of bizarre situations before his retirement in 2000. He returned to less competitive basketball in Mexico, the Philippines and even the UK where he played 3 games for the Brighton Bears, most notably against the Guildford Heat at the Spectrum in January 2006. More recently he has become (loosely) involved in politics, claiming to be the only person on Earth to be friends with both Trump and Kim Jong Un and thus making him an invaluable asset to the struggle for peace between North Korea and the West- it is fair to say the validity of this claim may well be questionable.

Rodman's battles with alcoholism are well documented and have been frequent since his various careers finished. He has attended rehabilitation centres on a number of occasions and repeatedly been involved in wrangles with the law as a consequence of his heavy drinking. His house in Newport Beach, California was reportedly appeared at by police 70 times in 2002 as a consequence of his wild parties there and while during his career the drinking and partying was considered more of an exuberance than a problem, it became quickly clear that it was rooted in deeper troubles. Had the sports world and society more generally had the modern understanding of mental health issues and the red flags that Rodman's behaviour was indicative of, it is possible that Rodman's spiral into full blown alcoholism and depression could have been prevented.

Here are a couple of other names who lived the lavish lifestyle whilst also reaching the pinnacle of their respective sports:

George Best

Best creating his famous champagne tower, unknown

Often overlooked by the modern generation of football fans, George Best's footballing genius and accompanying antics resulted in one of sport's most tragic tales. It only takes a brief look at his career path after leaving Manchester United to understand what really drove Best; two stints with the LA Aztecs alone display his fascination with the bright lights, pretty girls and finer things in life.

On the pitch, Best's talent could never be argued with. Plucked from obscurity in Belfast having been first spotted as a shy, skinny 15 year old, he quickly captivated all who watched his mastery- the slaloming runs and audacious footwork were by all accounts unique to his own talent. Best broke into the United side at the tender age of 17 and quickly made an impact as part of the title winning side in 1965, Manchester United's first since the tragic Munich air disaster. The apex of his career came in the 1968 European Cup Final, where he calmly rounded the keeper and finished in extra time to defeat the great Eusebio's Benfica. Even the great Johan Cruyff was all too aware of his brilliance, especially when a post-prime Best responded to a journalist's claim before an international qualifier in 1976 that Cruyff was the world's best by predicting that he would nutmeg the Dutchman, and subsequently proceeded to do so with alarming ease. Such brazen and effective showboating was the hallmark of Best the player, and fitted neatly with his character off the field.

A cursory glance into the lifestyle of the 'Fifth Beatle' as he was affectionately known reveals a litany of quotes filled with braggadocio and with more than a touch of cheek, usually relating to his prowess as a womaniser or his playboy persona:

"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol- it was the worst 20 minutes of my life"

"If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both."

Best and actress Susan George on holiday, 1969, Alamy

Best's joie de vivre and obvious fallibility were what made him so appealing to those who revered him- he seemed to be able to switch on his talents on the pitch in spite of the late nights and heavy head, as if he had a god-given gift to entertain. Before long however football became very secondary to Best- most overtly shown by his decision to miss United's game against Chelsea in London in favour of holing up in rising actress Sinead Cusack's Islington flat, where they were blockaded by an intrusive press cohort for 3 days. This serves to illustrate Best's complicated relationship with mass media- while the development of the celebrity and celebrity culture no doubt contributed to his ability to attract Miss Worlds and live his best life, it also left him devoid of privacy and with a goldfish bowl existence which weighed heavily on him. Best himself later confessed that he felt the weight of the world crushing him on that fateful morning of the missed game, and that "to me my life seemed to be in crisis but to everyone else it was just a piece of fun.". This sadly elucidates the crux of the problem for Best- his personal issues were never taken seriously by the wider public and he was not blessed with the help or support system which could have aided in his battle against the inner demons which ultimately lead to his tragically premature passing.

James Hunt

Hunt poses with model Sue Shaw, Mirrorpix

James Hunt and his rivalry with Niki Lauda lit up the racing world during the 1970s, not least because of the polar opposite characters of the two men. While Lauda was a picture of professionalism, dedication and an expert on the mechanical workings of the vehicles, Hunt's appetite for hedonism and promiscuity was legendary, and drove the playboy reputation of motorsport during that era. As a driver, his talent and in particular his aggression on the track was unquestionable, and combined with his indiscreet nocturnal activities this helped earn him the nickname 'Hunt the Shunt' and he won the world championship in 1976 after an incredibly volatile season involving multiple bitter exchanges between himself, Lauda and the sport's authorities.

Hunt's on track achievements don't even begin to explain his cultural significance. He was the archetypal playboy, careering around the world (often accompanied by world champion motorcyclist Barry Sheene) entertaining as many women as possible even in serious competitive moments. Some of his most famous misdemeanours took place in the two weeks leading up to the title-deciding race in Tokyo in 1976. Hunt is said to have bedded an alarming 33 British Airways hostesses at the Hilton Hotel, and was caught cavorting in the pit garage with another girl just 5 minutes before this most important race of his career- all while being in a long-term relationship with Jane Birbeck at the time. Hunt was a sex addict in the truest form of the phrase, and was unashamed of his obsession; His original Hesketh Racing Team overalls were emblazoned with a patch reading 'Sex: Breakfast of Champions'.

Hunt perhaps unsurprisingly didn't enjoy a period of longevity at the top of the racing game as some of the sport's other greats did. Just three years after his World Championship win, he was out of the sport after a frustrating spell of failing to finish 15 out of 23 races over the course of two seasons. He became a co-commentator, working with the now legendary Murray Walker. The first race they worked on together was the Monaco 1980 Grand Prix, and Hunt showed up with two bottles of rosé in hand, ripped jeans and his leg in a cast from a boozed-up skiing accident. He nonchalantly plonked the injured leg on Walker's lap upon arrival and began to half drunkenly announce the race proceedings with surprising success- so much so that their partnership in the booth would last 13 years. It was clear that Hunt was unlikely to mince his words on air either as he frequently criticised racers for not trying hard enough, dodgy tactics or somewhat ironically their maturity- for example he referred to French racer Jean Paul Jarrier as "pig ignorant" and "having the mental age of a ten year old". He was also outspoken on social issues of the time, such as his on air berating of the apartheid system during the South African GP, and subsequent donation of his fees to black led movements aiming to overthrow the regime.

By the late 1980s however, Hunt had fallen into a heavy depression as he battled with his second marriage, severe alcoholism and growing financial pressures; between divorce fees in 1989 and the loss of £200,000 as an investor in the Lloyd's Name syndicate, Hunt was in real monetary trouble in this period. Having heard of his troubles, ex-girlfriend Birbeck met up with the beleaguered ex-racer and described him as looking like "death warmed over" and "overwhelmingly rigid with depression". Hunt's life in the fast lane had caught up with him, and it required a great personal determination and desire to launch himself into an intense fitness regime which helped turn his life around. As Marlboro racing chief executive once said, "he just turned it all around through nothing more than sheer willpower.". Such an ability to revive himself from dark depths is a credit to the determination and inner-drive of a man often criticised for taking the easy route. Sadly, Hunt suffered a massive heart attack as he passed away aged just 45 in 1993, likely a consequence of his excesses earlier in life. The sudden nature of his death was made even more tragic by the fact that he had proposed to his girlfriend Helen Dyson just the day before. A complicated soul, James Hunt had bathed in controversy and personal tension during his early fame, however at the event of his untimely demise there was almost ubiquitous sadness and grieving amongst those who had known him. Appropriately, Hunt left £5000 in his will strictly for the purpose of a raucous party in the aftermath of his funeral- the perfect way to remember such a colourful enigma.

Hunt on fathering duties, unknown

The underlying theme uniting these unconventional characters is their troubled nature- each suffered from mental health issues provoked by fame and personal trauma long before there was infrastructure in place to protect athletes or normal people alike. Although the absence of modern day fervent social media no doubt allowed these characters the freedom of expression and privacy to become such mavericks, the relentless onslaught of the traditional press and often brutally tabloid nature of the reporting took a heavy toll on each of these individuals. Society was not ready to understand the personal vulnerabilities of these individuals or even to accept that athletes are indeed human beings just like the rest of us. It is easy to fall into the trap of remembering these celebrity superstars more for their social imperfections as opposed to the genius their sporting minds and competitive greatness. Rodman's total of 5 NBA championships is bettered by only 13 people in NBA history, Hunt as a talent spotter was responsible for noticing Gilles Villeneuve's exceptional talent and his driving style was greatly respected by legends such as Lauda and Ayrton Senna, while Best remains one of the greatest dribblers in football history.