When Dennis Rodman joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1993, he was already a two-time rebounding champion. David Robinson was the face of the franchise—a gentleman, a leader, and an MVP candidate. On paper, it should have worked. Rodman did his job: he grabbed 17.3 rebounds per night in his first season and followed it up with another title the next year.
But basketball isn't played on paper.
Rodman was chaos. Robinson was control. And the two never found common ground. In Rodman's first season, the Spurs won 55 games—only to get swept by the Jazz in the first round. The next year, Rodman was suspended multiple times, crashed a motorcycle, and played just 49 games. Still, San Antonio won 62 games and made it to the Western Conference Finals.
Then they lost to Houston. And Rodman let loose.
He criticized the front office. He went after head coach Bob Hill. The chemistry, already fragile, shattered completely. That summer, the Spurs traded him—for Will Perdue. A career role player. No picks. No young talent. Just Perdue.
Why? Because they wanted him gone.
David Robinson didn’t hide his relief: "It was like a zoo. Now we’ll be able to just focus on basketball." Sean Elliott agreed, calling the team "quiet" and "the best team, getting along-wise, in the league."
But here’s where the story twists.
Rodman landed in Chicago. Joined Jordan and Pippen. Won 72 games. Won a title. Then two more. Three straight championships. Five rings total.
The Spurs? They kept winning in the regular season—59 games the next year—but flamed out in the second round. The playoff failures continued until another era, another roster, another culture.
Hoops Area
When Dennis Rodman joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1993, he was already a two-time rebounding champion. David Robinson was the face of the franchise—a gentleman, a leader, and an MVP candidate. On paper, it should have worked. Rodman did his job: he grabbed 17.3 rebounds per night in his first season and followed it up with another title the next year.
But basketball isn't played on paper.
Rodman was chaos. Robinson was control. And the two never found common ground. In Rodman's first season, the Spurs won 55 games—only to get swept by the Jazz in the first round. The next year, Rodman was suspended multiple times, crashed a motorcycle, and played just 49 games. Still, San Antonio won 62 games and made it to the Western Conference Finals.
Then they lost to Houston. And Rodman let loose.
He criticized the front office. He went after head coach Bob Hill. The chemistry, already fragile, shattered completely. That summer, the Spurs traded him—for Will Perdue. A career role player. No picks. No young talent. Just Perdue.
Why? Because they wanted him gone.
David Robinson didn’t hide his relief: "It was like a zoo. Now we’ll be able to just focus on basketball." Sean Elliott agreed, calling the team "quiet" and "the best team, getting along-wise, in the league."
But here’s where the story twists.
Rodman landed in Chicago. Joined Jordan and Pippen. Won 72 games. Won a title. Then two more. Three straight championships. Five rings total.
The Spurs? They kept winning in the regular season—59 games the next year—but flamed out in the second round. The playoff failures continued until another era, another roster, another culture.
So who really won the trade?
The Spurs got peace. The Bulls got rings.
#DennisRodman #DavidRobinson #SanAntonioSpurs #ChicagoBulls #1990
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