Dennis Rodman, one of the most iconic NBA players of all time, isn’t afraid of stating his opinions.
And he isn’t afraid of what people think about his point of view.
On Monday, he created a small firestorm with comments about fellow icon Larry Bird.
“If Larry Bird played in this era, I think he’d be in Europe…There’s no way. I think the kid from Denver [Nikola Jokic] is way better [than] him,” Rodman said, according to ESPN.
Agree or disagree with Rodman? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6dEN04Odfb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 26, 2023
As you can imagine, this generated a ton of heat from NBA fans who immediately jumped to Bird’s defense.
Some people said that this was Rodman’s attempt to stay relevant years after his retirement.
This is such a bad take. Rodman saying things to remain relevant I guess.
— Joe Schneider (@fcancer) June 26, 2023
This is why we don’t listen to Dennis Rodman
— REVENGE (@ImJustREVENGE) June 26, 2023
There were many others who said that the point by Rodman was just completely incorrect and avoided the facts.
Sean K. Jensen noted that Bird would actually do quite well in today’s NBA.
Many of the characteristics that Bird had during his time in the league – shooting, passing, defending – are still valued in the modern era.
In fact, it is those attributes that make Jokic such a great star for his Denver Nuggets.
Comical. Today’s offense friendly rules would suit Bird very well. He was an excellent shooter, excellent passer, better defender than some of the players mentioned and an elite competitor. But comparing him and Jokic is a bit unfair since they play different positions
— Sean K. Jensen (@seankjensen) June 26, 2023
People will always debate how well Bird, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and other heroes of the NBA would do if they played today.
There is never a right or wrong answer because everything is a matter of opinion.
It is surprising to see someone like Rodman state that Bird, a Hall of Famer and one of the best to ever wear a jersey, wouldn’t even be playing in the league.
If Rodman was looking to create controversy again, he should feel very accomplished.
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