Dennis Rodman admits he felt like an NBA 'guinea pig' after referee headbutt in 1995-96

Dennis Rodman admitted he felt like an NBA guinea pig after headbutting referee Ted Bernhardt during a 1995-96 game against the New Jersey Nets.

Rodman received a technical foul within the first minutes of the game after aggressively pounding the ball. Moments later, with 1:07 left in the quarter, he drew a personal foul and argued with referee Paul Mihalak. During the exchange, Rodman put his hands inside his shorts, which Bernhardt spotted and called a second technical. When Bernhardt approached, Rodman headbutted him before teammate Luc Longley pulled him away.

The NBA suspended Rodman for six games and fined him $20,000. Rod Thorn, then-NBA senior vice president, said physical assaults on referees would not be tolerated. Rodman ripped off his jersey in protest, knocked down a water cooler, and refused to accept the punishment. He told reporters, "Since it was me, I get picked on. Every damn game, I'm the guinea pig."

The Bulls lost Rodman for six games during their record-setting 72-10 season. Chicago won five of those six games, including a 97-93 road win over New Jersey. The team finished the regular season with the best record in NBA history at the time and claimed their first championship of the second three-peat.

Rodman’s suspension and fine became part of his legacy as the league’s most unpredictable enforcer. His refusal to back down reinforced his reputation as a player who played by his own rules, even at the cost of his own team’s short-term success.