NBA Rumors: Dennis Rodman Reveals Shocking Truth About Lakers Stint With Kobe, Shaq

KEY POINTS

Dennis Rodman played 23 games for the Lakers after leaving the Bulls in 1998
Rodman shares his experience teaming with Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant
O'Neal reveals what it was like to be at a party with Rodman

Dennis Rodman had a short-but-wild run with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bull dynasty collapsed in 1998, Rodman--who was a key figure in the team’s second NBA three-peat--eventually found himself joining Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.

At the time, the Lakers were highly-touted as NBA title contenders with the Shaq and Kobe tandem beginning to dominate the league.

Superficially, Rodman looked quite a great addition to the Lakers, providing electrifying energy and depth in the rebounding department.

However, he recently revealed that it wasn’t always a good time off the court.

According to Rodman, he became an instant star in LA for obvious reasons and it made O’Neal and Bryant “so envious” of him.

“Kobe and Shaq were so envious of me because they [the Lakers] catered to me so much – coming to the game, going out after the game, having parties, doing this, doing that, hotel this…stuff like that–they couldn’t stand me on that damn team, to be honest with you,” Rodman told LifeSpeaks Media Group.

Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the Larry O'Brian trophy as teammate Shaquille O'Neal (L) hold the MVP trophy after winning the NBA Championship against Indiana Pacers 19 June, 2000 Getty Images | AFP/AFP

Though he didn’t admit that he envied Rodman back then, O’Neal came clean about having attended one of those wild Hollywood parties hosted by “The Worm.”

Based on O’Neal’s recollection, Rodman once invited him to a party after “a hard game” and he was stunned with what was going on in the club when he came in that he immediately decided to leave.

“He was funny,” O’Neal said in an excerpt from “Shaq Talks Back.” “Like, he never took a shower after the game.”

“After a hard game playing forty minutes, he’d just put his stuff on and walk right out,” he continued. “Next thing I know, I’d see him at some club that night with about thirty girls on him—those crazy, techno, ecstasy highlight parties. I once walked into one of those parties. Leonardo DiCaprio’s there. Robert Downey, Jr., he’s there. All these cats making weird faces. It’s dark as hell. People are drinking. D. Rod (Rodman) popping Cristal champagne, showing off. A lot of stars. A lot of girls, some of them taking their tops off.”

“I just got out of there. Quick."

Rodman’s stint with the Lakers did not last long. After playing 23 games, the team ended up cutting him and he never played an entire season with any team since then.