Dennis Rodman Opens Up About Being Underpaid

Dennis Rodman felt underpaid as an NBA player, despite earning around $10 million. He shared his thoughts in his autobiography "Bad As I Wanna Be" (1996).

Dennis Rodman said, **"We're professional prostitutes, wearing a game jersey and uniform, running seven miles in two hours. So… the only thing left to discuss is price."**

He felt underpaid, especially during his early years in the league with the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, where he was a staple in the All-Defense and rebounding picture league-wide.

Dennis Rodman played for the Pistons, Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks, and was always counted on to be an integral part of each team's rotation and game plan.

When he played for the Bulls from 1995 to 1998, Rodman saw a significant jump in his pay, signing for $2.5 million in his first year, then for $9.0 million in the second, and $4.6 million plus incentives in his final year.

He earned the respect of his peers, including Boston Celtics great Larry Bird, who valued the competitive fire he brought every time he stepped on the court.

Larry Bird wrote in his book, **"There's no question Dennis Rodman is one of the greatest rebounders in the last ten or twelve years, and what he brought to the Bulls was championships. They don't win without him. Period."**

Dennis Rodman's career earnings as a player were around $28 million, still a considerable amount for that period.

He played two more seasons in the NBA after his run with the Bulls, earning $1.45 million.

Dennis Rodman was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time NBA champion with the Pistons.

He helped Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen win three straight NBA titles while taking his own haul of championship hardware to five.

The New Jersey native was in the NBA for 14 years after being selected in the second round by the Detroit Pistons in the 1986 NBA Draft out of Southern Oklahoma State.