“I MEAN, JOHN STOCKTON? S—T.” DENNIS RODMAN’S DECADES-LONG BEEF WITH THE NBA, THE SNUB THAT STILL HAUNTS HISTORY, AND WHY THE 50 GREATEST LIST MAY HAVE GOTTEN IT DEAD WRONG
Almost three decades later, Dennis Rodman still isn’t over it.
Not the fines.
Not the suspensions.
Not the controversies.
The one thing that continues to eat at him is a single decision made in 1997 when the NBA unveiled its 50 Greatest Players of All Time list and left his name off.
And whenever the topic resurfaces, Rodman’s frustration spills out the same way it always has: raw, unfiltered, unapologetic.
“I mean, John Stockton?” Rodman scoffed.
“S—t.”
That line alone reopened one of the most uncomfortable conversations in NBA history what the league values, who it rewards, and who it quietly erases.
THE NIGHT THE NBA PICKED ITS FAVORITES
When the NBA announced its 50 Greatest Players list during the 1997 All-Star weekend, it was meant to be a celebration.
A clean, polished tribute to basketball royalty.
Instead, it created permanent resentment.
Because for every legend selected, another was left watching from the outside and no omission felt louder than Dennis Rodman’s.
This was a player who had already reshaped how defense, rebounding, and hustle were evaluated. A player who anchored multiple championship teams. A player who guarded everyone from Shaq to Karl Malone and won.
Yet when the list came out, Rodman wasn’t on it.
John Stockton was.
WHY STOCKTON BECAME THE SYMBOL OF RODMAN’S ANGER
Rodman has never denied John Stockton’s greatness.
But to him, the comparison was insulting.
Stockton had:
- Zero championships
- Zero Finals MVPs
- No defensive dominanc
Rodman had:
- Five NBA championships
- Seven rebounding titles
- Seven All-Defensive First Team selections
- A reputation as the greatest rebounder of all time
In Rodman’s mind, the math didn’t add up.
And it still doesn’t.
THE UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION THE NBA NEVER ANSWERED
Rodman’s anger wasn’t really about Stockton.
It was about what the league rewarded.
Clean image.
Professional demeanor.
Corporate friendliness.
Stockton fit perfectly.
Rodman didn’t.
The league never said it out loud but everyone knew.
THE NBA’S IMAGE PROBLEM IN THE 90s
The 1990s NBA was booming globally, and David Stern was fiercely protective of the league’s image.
Rodman was chaos. Dyed hair.
Public meltdowns.
Cross-dressing headlines.
Technical fouls.
Suspensions.
To the league office, Rodman wasn’t just a player he was a liability.
And many believe that’s exactly why he was excluded.
WINNING NEVER SEEMED TO MATTER WHEN IT WAS DENNIS
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Dennis Rodman won everywhere he went.
Detroit.
Chicago.
San Antonio.
If rebounding, defense, and sacrifice mattered equally to scoring, Rodman would’ve been a lock. But the league didn’t see it that way.
JERRY KRAUSE KNEW THE REAL DENNIS
Ironically, one of Rodman’s strongest defenders was the same man often blamed for breaking up the BullsJerry Krause. In his unfinished memoir, Krause painted a completely different picture of Rodman.
A loyal soldier.
A misunderstood savant.
A player who gave everything as long as you trusted him.
To Krause, Rodman wasn’t a circus.
He was a weapon.
WHY HISTORY IS FINALLY CHANGING ITS TUNE
In 2011, Rodman was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In 2021, he was named one of the 75 Greatest Players of All Time.
Validation came late but it came.
Still, the original snub remains a scar. Because for Rodman, it wasn’t about lists. It was about respect.