Dennis Rodman wishes he had never said the divisive remarks he made about Larry Bird in 1987.
Dennis Rodman discusses the error he made in 1987 at the ECF when he suggested that Larry Bird would only be an ordinary player if he were black. At the time, it was a contentious comment since it heightened animosity in the Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons rivalry.
challenging matches versus Bird
Dennis Rodman made a contentious remark regarding Larry Bird giving another dimension to the entire series and rivalry between the Pistons and Celtics just before game six of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. When Rodman claimed that Magic should receive the same accolades as other NBA stars and that Larry Bird receives more favorable press than all the other superstars because he is white, the media took notice. Rodman made his comment immediately following Game 5, when Larry Bird’s legendary steal gave the Celtics the victory
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Thirty-five years later, Rodman discusses his rivalry with Bird, stating that his primary objective was to slow him down in any way possible. He recalls how Bird would frequently start their trash-talking sessions because he knew he could get the most out of the rookie who was attempting to establish his NBA credentials.
“I am watching him, and he keeps repeating, ‘I’m over here, rook,’ whenever I turn to look at the three-point line. I have to go try to contest that three and sprint over there like a dumba**.”
recognizing that he was mistaken
Rodman acknowledges that by labeling Bird overrated just because he was white, he committed a rookie error.The fact that it took place in Boston only made matters worse, fostering a deeper rivalry and even animosity between the two clubs.If they could take Bird out of his game, the Pistons believed they had a chance to unseat the Celtics as the top team in the Eastern Conference.
“Boston for Game 6″ I chose the worst course of action a person could take. After the game, I made the foolish and impressionable statement that Larry Bird would be an ordinary basketball player if he were black. When I was in Boston at the time, I did in fact say that.”
Rodman recalls how, after taking a lot of the criticism personally, Isaiah Thomas stood by him and demonstrated what a great teammate looks like. Though Thomas was aware that Rodman was a crucial member of their squad, he also acknowledged that Rodman had made a foolish error by criticizing Bird in public. As one of the best defenders in the league, Rodman believes that series raised a lot of awareness for the Pistons and himself.
“Isaiah Thomas stood up for me, which is what made our team so awesome. Dennis, please get in your car, drive back to Oklahoma, and stay there. He took all the heat off of me. I erred, but those were other times; the modern day is different, and my career took off from there.”
That series would end in seven games for the Boston Celtics, but that campaign also signaled the beginning of a dynasty that would eventually see the Pistons win back-to-back titles. On the other hand, even though Rodman found himself in a lot of circumstances later in his career when he was even more controversial than he was after that game, it was a tremendous learning lesson for him to deal with the media. Throughout his career, Rodman pulled off many crazy stunts, but he wishes he had handled this particular incident with Bird better because it was unwarranted and needless.
