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Movin' in Rodman makes himself at home in Dallas
Posted: Friday February 04, 2000 04:39 PM
DALLAS (AP) -- Dennis Rodman finally signed with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, and to show his dedication, he's making a huge sacrifice. He's not going to the Pro Bowl. Instead of partying in Hawaii, Rodman will be sweating his way back into playing shape after nearly a year-long absence from the NBA. He'll make his Mavs debut at home Wednesday against Seattle. Incoming team owner Mark Cuban said he's not sure whether Rodman will travel with the team for road games Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers or Sunday against the Vancouver Grizzlies. "If anything, I might take him to L.A. just to get him with his trainer, because he's getting that serious," said Cuban, who personally pursued the NBA's most eligible free agent since shortly after agreeing to buy the team in early January. The 38-year-old forward has been out of the league since the Los Angeles Lakers got tired of his act and cut him after 23 games last April. He was holding out hope that new Lakers coach Phil Jackson might give him another chance. But after no contenders were interested, Rodman let Cuban start wooing him. Rodman soaked up some attention last week, then bolted for Super Bowl parties in Atlanta. While there, he floated the idea of delaying his return until after the Pro Bowl and maybe even the NBA All-Star Game Feb. 13. But Rodman was back Tuesday, and Wednesday he started settling into his new residence: the 4,000-square-foot guest house behind Cuban's mansion. Rodman passed a physical Thursday and signed his contract, then went for his second workout of the day. He was not at Reunion Arena for Dallas' game against Charlotte.
"I'm not going to try to stop Dennis from being Dennis," Cuban said. "I'm not going to say, 'Ooh, Dennis, don't go out and party. Ooh, Dennis, you're talking to the wrong girls.' No. Dennis, go out and have fun -- be Dennis. "Dennis has managed to be Dennis and be very successful on the court for a long time." Cuban also is allowing Rodman to ride a stationary bike instead of practicing and giving him permission to arrive at games later than his teammates. "He didn't come to me and say, 'I'm not going to do this or that,'" Cuban said. "It was the exact opposite. I said, 'Dennis, what is it going to take to make you successful? How do you prepare for a game?'" Cuban said the decision to make Rodman his neighbor was a practical one. "I've got big fences," he said. "Everywhere he goes, he creates a scene, so I wanted to protect him from that so he can concentrate and focus." Rodman will pay Cuban $3,000 rent per month, but not because the billionaire co-founder of broadcast.com needs it. League rules force him to charge the going rate, which is why reserve Greg Buckner is paying $15 a day to drive one of Cuban's cars. Although they make an odd couple, Cuban and Rodman seem to have become fast friends. "There's perception, and there's reality. The reality of my experience with Dennis Rodman is that he's a great guy to sit around and talk to," Cuban said. "We were shooting baskets, working on his shot, playing PIG and all that stuff. He's intense about getting back into shape and getting his game back." Because the Mavericks are over the salary cap, they had to give Rodman a standard contract. He'll make $12,195 per game, which comes out to about $465,000 for the rest of the season. The trading deadline is three weeks away, but he's not eligible to be dealt because he won't have been on the roster long enough. The cheap contract makes Rodman a low-risk gamble. Even if he returns to his bad-boy act and wears out his welcome, as he did in his previous four stops, he's already gotten people talking about the Mavericks. And his rebounding and defense could help keep alive their recent hot streak.
"As long as he comes to work and gets the job done, I'm thrilled to death," Cuban said. "Obviously, there are limits to anything. But it's not part of the radar as far as I'm concerned."
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