Classic Confrontations: James Worthy vs Dennis Rodman

[KryptoChronicutelite]

James Worthy and Dennis Rodman = LEGENDS!!!

[Domini478]

@holderz They would of still won with MJ dumbass.

[BUXTUBETV]

I asked Rodman one time "who is the toughest player he ever guarded" he responded with 3 words "BIG GAME JAMES"

[Christlovesanimals]

Welcome to school Rodman---Worthy always finds a way to score.

[TheSherpatenzing]

wtf is this? rodman will destroy him

[imamfollower]

worthy = freek

[MissDeeCole]

vlade divac orgasm at the end

[GoodHipHopLyrics]

I love basketball. so many different ways to play and only one way works for each player. if you wanna be good, all you have to do is find your style

[SuperJM1980]

@holderz right especially in the 97 and 98 series when he played mind games with Karl Malone.

[cacapoopoo2327]

It's so lame when athletes take ballet. Remember Marbury on The Life? You can be a graceful bball player without ballet. (Eye roll)

[Survivor87]

Rodman used to be known really well for his tough defense, rebounding and such. But later on and to this day I can't help but think of him as the attention whore with multicolored hair and a wedding dress.

[jman9295]

Ballet is the same as basketball? LOL! Maybe through the eyes of a homosexual negroid wearing all-white tights.

[SuperJM1980]

i don't think the bulls teams of 96 97 98 would have won those titles without rodmans defense and rebounding.

[69points]

@SuperJM1980 you're absolutely right !!!! NO RODMAN NO RING FOR THE BULLS during the second three peats, such as the first three peats team : NO HORACE NO RING !!!

[Domini478]

@69points Are you dumb? They would of still won because of MJ. MJ was the main piece on the team dumbass.

[fliprocks]

@SuperJM1980 lakers wouldnt have 5 championships in the eighties without james worthys hustle

[Domini478]

@SuperJM1980 They would of still won because of MJ dumbass. They won it in the early 90s without him.

[Domini478]

@SuperJM1980 They would of won with any big man. They had MJ and he is the greatest dumbass. They didn't win from 94 through 95 because MJ had retired. He had came back in 95 from an 18 month retirement and that why the Bulls had lost in the 95 playoffs. As long MJ was playing, the Bulls would win regardless.

[SuperJM1980]

@Domini478 i stand by what say and the facts back it up,you can be stupid all day but the facts back it up.

[Domini478]

@SuperJM1980 Your facts are wrong because those big men that was on the Bulls was role players. MJ and Scottie was the stars on the team.

[lasoogneypubes]

@Domini478 Ugh... Dude Rodman led the league in rebounding 7 times as a 6'6" Power Forward. That's shorter than LeBron. In his best season he averaged 18.7 rebounds a game. That's a lot of fucking rebounds! He might not have scored that much but having a guy that can pull down 18 boards a night will definitely give you the edge you need to win. Without Rodman I don't think that Jordan would have won 6 rings. He didn't win ANY until Pippen and Rodman showed up.

[Domini478]

@lasoogneypubes First of all, Dennis was 6'8 dumbass. MJ would still have 6 rings because he was too great. Any big man would won championships with MJ because he is the greatest. MJ didn't win until Phil started to coached in the 1989-1990 season. He didn't have a good coach in his young days dumbass. Btw, nobody can win by themselfs stupid. Please don't say he didn't win untill etc...

[lasoogneypubes]

@Domini478 Lmao! Of course EVERYONE knows the exact height of Dennis Rodman.. Wow way to try to burn me on something totally pointless. He still wasn't the tallest guy. YOU'RE the one acting like MJ could win by himself. I'm saying that he needed help to win and you can't just say that Rodman was easily replaceable. He played a huge part in that team's success. Why are you being such a fucking dickhead anyway? I was never mean to you in the first place. God you must be like 10 years old..

[lasoogneypubes]

@Domini478 Also I looked around to see what Dennis Rodman's height is and it's listed at 6'6". The only thing I read saying that he's 6'8" is that the Bulls listed him as that but he was really 6'6". Look it up "dumbass". Hah I feel so smart now because I called you a dumbass.

[chiflao2]

Rodman may have been a great defensive player but not against Worthy, James used to chew him up.

[NeuMasterful]

@chiflao2 Worthy chewed everyone up!

[r3b0rnx]

@chiflao2

Not to diminish Worthy, but Dennis was a bit shorter. Worthy could shoot over him in certain situations. Not exactly chewing him up. 

[guitarjosh]

@r3b0rnx Dennis was 6'8, Worthy was 6'9.

[maxedwell]

Oh yeah, and props ExplosiveThinMan for remembering Worthy's jump shot range accurately ^-=

Seems like most people forget the midrange game that Chick always tried to describe as accurately as possible. I mean, there are guys who can nail 12-15 footers all day, but push them back to 18 feet & it's brick city. Or guys who can only make 8 foot hook shots mid-key, but not 12 footers on the wing. Little stuff like that is incredibly important, but many casual fans don't recognize the distinction.

[ExplosiveThinMan]

Thanks.

When I was growing up playing basketball I used to try to play the game like Worthy played it. He was the perfect offensive player IMO.

The quick first step, the power dribble, the ability to finish with either hand around the basket and yes the midrange shot that kept the D honest.

[AvEryBadApPLe]

divac?! lol

[jeffnfoxylady1]

i agree i think if you look at his body of work as a player on the floor he should be in the hall a fame but people tend to look at his off da court issues look at the rebounding titles

[fredagsedb]

Excactly. How many years in a row was it he lead the league in reboundin? 8? and one year with 17 pr. game. How can anybody hate on that?

[milkymike375]

he plays offense about as well as mark madsen...

[kiminokami]

Even on the court he was crazy and out of control, which overshadowed his statistical accomplishments, his contributions to his teams, and his displays of competitiveness.

[JeffL]

When he played with the pistons in the late eighties/early ninties he could guard anyone in the league.

Defintely best defender of all time!!

[maxedwell]

Rodman was a tremendous defender (and rebounder) but the best? Uh uh. One of Dennis strengths was his versatility as a FORWARD. But Scottie Pippen, Bobby Jones or Michael Cooper were superior wing/perimeter defenders vs quick guards. Yet Rodman wasn't like those 3 skinny guys and could contest strong bigs like Karl Malone or Shawn Kemp in the post, and still switch out on perimeter screens.

Underrated was Rodman's ability to ignite and run on the break. That dude threw perfect OVERHEAD outlets.

[NameCallingIsWeak]

Rodman was great, but Wilt is the best rebounder ever.  Right?

[maxedwell]

I dunno how to quantify Wilt since the year I was born, he was winning his final ring w/ the Lakers. I've seen a TON of his games, but that's never the same as watching a player game by game as they evolve over the years.

By the numbers, Wilt is unmatched. The era he played in was also more physical than anything in the 80s/90s, but the defenses were also nowhere near modern. Plus, there's guys like Moses or Shaq who played against modern defenses, and were DEVASTATING offensive rebounders.

[maxedwell]

When people ask "who is the best?" My answer is "there is no best in hoops, it's a team sport." Switch Magic onto the Celtics and Bird onto the Lakers, do those teams still finish out the 80s w/ the same number of titles? IMO, there's a point players reach where you can simply say, "that dude is a badass mofo"

That said, I think it's fair to say, Wilt could hit the glass with ANYONE who has ever played. But even thought I'm a Laker fan, my fav rebounders are Rodman and Moses Malone.

[NameCallingIsWeak]

I never saw Wilt either. But one guy ranking the best players ever called Wilt #2, Jordan #3, and that Celtic center of the 60s #1.

Interesting note: I remember when Mike Dunleavy was Lakers coach '91, he played and beat them all in 1-on-1. Wow. Those 70s players were no joke.

[ExplosiveThinMan]

Dennis was a fine defender but in the those series with the Lakers James Worthy torched him in some of those games. Especially the series Magic got hurt i think Worthy went for 40 points on him in that series.

Bird also tortured him in the `87 ECF before Rodman made his racial comments.

Not saying Rodmen was bad defender but nobody is going to stop those legends.

[maxedwell]

NOBODY can stop a good offensive player 1 on 1 agreed. But in fairness to Dennis, he was young and still learning. Remember, he came to hoops late, much like Olajuwon so he was very raw and unskilled. In time, he developed the tricks of a veteran, the tricks he didn't have in the 80s (Rodman played Magic, my favorite player of all-time, better than anyone ever... and still got torched). But look at Rodman later when he'd go up against Karl Malone, or Shawn Kemp (when Kemp was actually good).

[ExplosiveThinMan]

I agree. Rodman was an excellant defender.

Worthy sometimes gets overlooked though. His offensive game was close to perfect.

The lightening quick first step to the basket. The footwork in the low post. Up and under, spin moves finish with eithier hand. He had a consistant 15 to 17 footer to keep the defender honest.

On another team James could have scored 30+ a game. He was always a team player and for a man 6-9 was as fast as anyone filling the lane.

[maxedwell]

James rarely gets his due from fans outside of LA, much how non-Jazz/Detroit fans tend to overlook Adrian Dantley or non-Sonics fans forget that Dennis Johnson was a finals MVP _before_ his Celtics days.

I still vividly remember the 88 semis & James pummeling the Jazz w/ those sweet 15-17 footers he made at a high percentage till finally Thurl Bailey had to play him close to stop Jame's J. Then Big Game drove from the left wing into the key for a tomahawk OVER Thurl's head. Badass Mofo 4 sho.

[Afroman015]

@JeffL he's one of the few players that gave Jordan problems defensively

[Domini478]

@Afroman015 Nobody gave problems to MJ dumbass.

[lbj6mj23]

@JeffL

no thats bill russell 

[pretorious700]

@lbj6mj23 amen