The Few has developed from a janitor who had never played organized basketball into arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history and one of the most recognized athletes in the world. Enigmatic and individualistic, Rodman has caught the public eye for his ever-changing hair color, tattoos and unorthodox lifestyle. Rodman's achievements on the court are indisputable.

A two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a member of two championship Pistons teams in Detroit and three title-winning Bulls teams in Chicago, he has led the league in rebounding for seven consecutive years despite standing only 6-8--Wilt Chamberlain is the only player to win more rebounding titles, 11. Rodman is one of the few players in basketball who can change the course of a game without taking a shot.

Rodman, whose two sisters were All-American basketball players, didn't play high school basketball and stood only 5-11 when he graduated. At age 20 he was working the graveyard shift at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport when he decided, after having grown eight inches since high school, that he would pursue basketball. He enrolled in Cooke County Junior College in Texas and later transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State. In three seasons there, 1983-84 through 1985-86, he averaged 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds, led the NAIA in rebounding twice and registered a .637 field goal percentage. Still relatively obscure, Rodman lasted into the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft before being selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 27th overall pick. After an unremarkable rookie season, Rodman began making his presence felt.

On the 1987-88 Pistons he averaged a career-best 11.6 points along with 8.7 rebounds. The team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Detroit won the NBA Championship the next two seasons, and Rodman was a prime reason for the club's success. The sixth man in 1988-89 on a team known for its physical play, he led the NBA in field goal percentage at .595, averaged 9.4 rebounds, and was runner-up for both the Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Sixth Man Award. In the Pistons' second title year he earned NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors, made the All-Star Team, and averaged 9.7 rebounds. With Rodman as a starter for the final 43 games of the season, Detroit went 39-4. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season in 1990-91, Rodman finished second in the NBA in rebounding at 12.5 boards per game. Up to that point Rodman had established himself as an excellent rebounder, but in 1991-92 he broke the mold and became a legend.

Playing more than 40 minutes per game, Rodman averaged 18.7 rebounds, the highest mark since Wilt Chamberlain had averaged 19.2 boards 20 years earlier. Rodman won the rebounding crown again in 1992-93 with 18.3 caroms per game, becoming the first forward ever to win back-to-back rebounding titles. Prior to the 1993-94 season the Pistons traded Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott. Rodman continued his board work in San Antonio, leading the league in rebounding for two more seasons. Despite continued discipline problems, he tranformed the Spurs from a good team into a title contender; San Antonio posted the NBA's best record and advanced to the Conference Finals in 1994-95. The Bulls gambled by acquiring the controversial Rodman prior to the 1995-96 season, and the gamble paid off handsomely. He led the league in rebounding for the next three years, and while he was more flamboyant than ever, it didn't seem to hurt Chicago's chemistry as the Bulls charged to 72, 69 and 62 victories and three championships. He appeared in 23 games with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998-99 and 12 games with the Dallas Mavericks in 1999-2000, but was waived by both clubs despite averaging in double figures in rebounds for both teams.