Friday's game may have been at home for the Bellingham Slam of the American Basketball Association, but the team's first sell-out crowd of 1,078 fans was there to see former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman of the Tijuana Dragons.
The 44-year-old Rodman, as part of his six-game contract with the Dragons, lost to the Bellingham Slam 115-102 at Whatcom Pavilion at Whatcom Community College.
The Slam defeated the Dragons again, this time without Rodman because his contract didn't cover the second game, 157-113 on Sunday.
The Dragons came into the game shorthanded with only seven players suited up to play, including Rodman who played 32 out of 42 minutes.
"It's very difficult to play in a situation like this when you got six players," Rodman said.
He didn't want to use the small rotation as an excuse for the loss, but he wasn't too concerned about the public's perception, Rodman said.
"There are not too many 44-year-old guys who can step on the floor, so I don't really give a shit what people think," he said.
Rodman said he isn't worried whether playing for the Dragons will affect his basketball legacy.
"People say 'that's a shame. You shouldn't be playing. You're ruining your image,' " he said. "Well, I did that 20 years ago."
Before Rodman played in Bellingham, he logged minutes for the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League Jan. 28 in England in a one-game contract that paid him approximately $35,000.
Rodman said the travel involved in playing overseas basketball has been tough on him.
"For me to do what I do - God knows it's so much - and then to pop over here in butt-fuck Egypt," he said.
Rodman shot only two for 12 during the game for five points, but he corralled 11 rebounds.
Slam center Brian Dennis, who finished his Vikings' basketball career in 2002, showed Rodman his skills and riled the sell-out crowd when he delivered a thunderous block on a Rodman lay-up attempt during the first quarter.
"It always feels good to block an NBA champion's shot," Dennis said. "Dennis Rodman was my favorite player in college and in high school, so it was great to show him I am a little better than he is right now."
Despite his confidence, he said Rodman was still impressive.
"He's a great, great rebounder," Dennis said. "He had great technique and he always found me when I was trying to go to the offensive boards. It was a lesson. Even at (age) 44, he taught me a lesson."
Slam forward Craig Roosendaal, who finished his Vikings basketball career in 2005, said he wasn't only excited to play on the same floor as Rodman, but also to have such a big crowd at the game.
"It was just good to have a good crowd there," Roosendaal said. "It keeps you hyped up for the game."
He added that playing with Rodman was memorable.
"Once he starts going up and down the floor you really realize it and it's like 'that's Dennis Rodman, that's kind of crazy,' " Roosendaal said.
Rodman didn't do anything outrageous during the game that would find its way into the tabloids, but at times he displayed his showman roots of crowd pleasing.
In the first quarter Rodman received a pass out on the three-point perimeter. Rodman was open, but he was looking to pass to a teammate.
When the crowd began to cheer for him to shoot, Rodman gave a rye grin and took the shot. Unfortunately, it was one of his 10 missed shots of the night.
The Dragons kept the game close in the first quarter, but the Slam were able to pick up the pace of the game and pull away in the second quarter, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the game.
Dennis said he understood why the crowd cheered more for an opposing player than the home team.
"That was kind of weird," Dennis said. "But hey, it's Dennis Rodman. I probably would've been cheering for him too."
