Shaquille O’Neal is almost as dominant with his words off the basketball court as he was on it. The man simply has an opinion about everything. So it’s no surprise that he was quick to name former power forward Dennis Rodman as his worst teammate ever while speaking on his podcast.
Rodman played with Shaq and Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers before their three-peat of championships in the early 2000s. By then, Rodman had built a reputation as one of the most wildly eccentric characters in a league full of them. He famously left Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls in the middle of a playoff run.
Though Shaq acknowledged Rodman’s talent, he was no fan of what he considered Rodman’s unprofessional behavior.
“Worst teammate? Dennis Rodman,” Shaq said. “He was a great player, but he made it hard.
“Like when you try to corral the guys together and the people above you are letting this one guy do whatever he wants—and rightfully so. We had to be there an hour before the game. He’d come in fifteen minutes before the game eating chicken and rice. While the coaches are talking, he would jump in the shower—cold shower—come and give you 15-20 rebounds.
“After the game, don’t take a shower and be in the club with girls. He just put on his clothes on and go. I went to one of his parties one time, I was like, ‘What?’ I thought I was the king in the club, but I went to one of his parties and I ain’t seen nothing like that before.”
Despite his peccadilloes, the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Rodman in 2020.
About DJ Byrnes