Love him or hate him, Dennis Rodman is one of the greatest players in history. A five-time NBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time rebounds leader, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 2011.
In a league which embodies the never-say-never mentality, it’s genuinely safe to say there’s no one quite like Rodman.
Or is there?
On Wednesday, October 15, Rodman took to Twitter to name the reincarnation of himself in today’s NBA. It’s not an elite defensive player, a relentless rebounder or an athletic big man who can run the floor and finish in transition.
Instead, Rodman chose a player at an entirely different position: J.R Smith.
Sending love to the zen master @PhilJackson11 and the @nyknicks for this season. Good luck to @therealjrsmith who is the new Dennis Rodman
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) October 15, 2014
Rodman played for Phil Jackson, then a head coach, from 1995 to 1998, winning three titles. Smith will play under Jackson, now the president of basketball of operations for the New York Knicks, in 2014-15.
Smith has yet to adopt the cheetah-print hairstyle.
Due to the difference in position, this comparison is likely based on tenacity and approach. Either that or Rodman respects Smith’s commitment to body art. Smith isn’t as accomplished, but his defensive woes are matched by a relentless attack on offense.
That’s led to poor shot selection, but it also helped Smith win the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year award.
Until we see Smith diving into the crowd for a loose ball, fighting for every rebound and dominating his man defensively, the comparison to Rodman seems a bit off-base. Both have been labeled as loose cannons and thrived in major markets, but this is one of those, “Told you so,” moments where we don’t understand today, but might somewhere down the line
Regardless of how the masses may respond to such a statement, one thing remains true: if anyone knows what it takes to be Rodman, it’s Rodman.
No one else is even remotely qualified.