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“There’s No Money Left”: 5x NBA Champion Dennis Rodman While Deciding Between Lakers and Miami, Got a Brutal Reality Check Despite a Stellar Career

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Dennis Rodman is a Hall of Famer in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He had a stunning career and dominated the court in the 90s. In addition, the five-time NBA champion was the player you would want in your team because of his stellar defensive performances. Dennis Rodman was a great hustler and would do anything to make a defensive stop or get a rebound. Beyond that, he was a team player and would do anything to make his team win.

Rodman is widely considered as the greatest rebounder of all time. However, as great as his career was, the twilight of it was not as glorious as people might expect from the Chicago Bulls legend. In fact, he faced a lot of criticism and difficulties in the later years of his basketball career. Going back to a similar story, he faced a harsh reality check when he was deciding his next destination in the concluding stages of his career.

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Would Dennis Rodman earn only a million dollars?

Dennis Rodman was effectively a celebrity by the end of the 1998 season. He used to attract huge crowds, and people loved watching him play. However, he also had his difficult times. His aggressiveness on the court often posed problems for the team because of the techniques that he used to get.

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As a result, after the Bulls’ last championship season, the Chicago team released him mid-season, and Rodman was looking for a new destination. Due to the salary cap and his prolonged signing, most franchises appeared reluctant to sign him.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 14: Dennis Rodman attends the Comedy Central Roast Of Bruce Willis on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)

In an appearance on a Late night talk show with Jay Leno, Dennis was seen talking about his next destination. When asked about which team he would go for, he said that the Lakers, Magic and the Heat could serve as possible destinations. However, he seemed aware of his limited options. In fact, he acknowledged “There’s no money left.” If he would sign with any of the teams, he would earn only a million. Earning only a million after years of him earning a lot more, was a hard reality for him to accept.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Inspiring books written by Dennis Rodman and Chris Paul.

Rodman went on to sign with the Lakers for only a million dollars on his contract. But his Lakers’ career was short lived. Afterwards, he would move on to have a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks.