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When Legendary Chicago Bulls Reporter Allegedly Revealed Reason Behind Michael Jordan's Retirement in 1998
Michael Jordan took retirement from the game of basketball in 1998 and there were lot of speculations behind why he did that but a legendary Bulls reporter spilled the beans on it.
Announcing his retirement, Michael Jordan claimed his sixth NBA Championship. It appeared to be a basketball fairy tale come true. Every athlete's dream is to retire while still having the ability to compete at the highest level.
However, the situation was more convoluted behind the scenes. It was later disclosed by renowned Chicago Bulls reporter Sam Smith that Jordan's 1998 retirement was influenced by additional factors. Dennis Rodman, the rebound king, was one of them.
Smith, in one of his articles, wrote, "He was also sick of babying Rodman. Jordan ran into Rodman recently and they talked at length. Later, Jordan confided to a friend he was amazed you could talk to Rodman. Back then, Jordan never did."
Was MJ sick of Dennis Rodman?
Smith claimed that Jordan had to "grab him by the temples" because "The Worm" was so hard to talk to. Speaking with Dennis, according to his Ainress, was like conversing with an eight-year-old. It's challenging to refute Smith's assertions. On and off the court, Rodman is renowned for having a wild personality. Viewers got an intimate look at the legendary forward's wild antics during his time with the Bulls thanks to the sports documentary The Last Dance.
Rodman would take a weekend trip to Las Vegas to party when he needed a break. Whether the Bulls were in a tight playoff series or not didn't matter. Because he was an essential member of the team, head coach Phil Jackson permitted him to do so. Once, after a weekend of partying, Jordan had to drag the five-time champion to practice.
MJ never considered Rodman as a role model
Jordan said, "I introduced them to Dennis the other day." I said, 'I hope you don't think Dennis is a role model.' And Marcus said, 'Yeah, I want red hair.' I said, 'Nah, no red hair, no earrings.' I think they're fascinated by some of the things they see from kids at school or other kids. But every question they've had about him, I corrected them."
Jordan never warmed up to Rodman, not even after his playing days; to the extent that Jordan later instructed his children not to view Rodman as a role model.
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