Thanks to Netflix documentary The Last Dance, many are rediscovering their love for the members of the almost whimsically dominant 1990s Chicago Bulls. The team’s rainbow-haired, crossdressing defensive specialist is certainly no exception. But how many fans were aware that Dennis Rodman once played for Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional team Fuerza Regia de Monterrey?
In 2004, Fuerza Regia president Sergio Ganém Pérez announced that the Worm would be suiting up for the team’s October 8th game against the Santos de San Luis Potosí. Though 10,000 fans showed up eager to see a platinum blonde Rodman play, he only graced the floor for five minutes and 18 seconds. Rodman aficionados were upset but were somewhat placated with a two-for-one promotion on tickets for an October 10th Fuerza Regia game against Tamaulipas Correcaminos. During that second and final appearance for the squad, Rodman played 23 minutes and 36 seconds, racking up three assists, six rebounds, and four points enroute to a 107-95-point win.
“I was born and raised on a farm,” ESPN Mexico reported him as saying at the post-game press conference. “It was a lot of work to be who I am, and I tell kids and young people to fight for their dreams. Anyone can be a star and have a championship ring, it just depends on not giving up and working hard for what you want.”
At the time, Rodman was still hoping for a return to the NBA, and also talked about his possibilities of playing with the Denver Nuggets during the press appearance.
His brief stint with Fuerza Regia was far from the only non-NBA teams whose roster Rodman graced. He played with the Long Beach Jam, Tijuana Dragons, and Orange County Crush of the American Basketball Association, as well as for Finland’s professional league and three games for the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League.
When the NBA didn’t open its doors to the late career Worm, Rodman made other plans, even showing up in the WWE ring alongside Hulk Hogan to take on a Diamond Dallas Page tag team with former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone.
