If you can get passed the bare bottom on the back cover, you are surprisingly in for a really honest look at the NBA during the early 90s. What makes this account unique is that it is from the perspective of a player who was not the “Golden Child” at the time, but instead an outcast. Most people remember Rodman for the his hair colors, outrageous outfits, or the fact that he married himself. However, many people do forget just how good he actually was. He wasn’t the scoring machine or the guy you would want to take the last shot in a tied game, but he is the guy who would get the rebound to set up that last shot for the superstar to take. The book takes a look at all aspects of Rodman’s life including his childhood and his extremely infamous relationship with Madonna. Imagine they had a reality show? Who wouldn’t want to know their every day life. Well, Rodman gives a glimpse into it and he doesn’t hold much back. From giving sexual details to the real reason they broke it off, Rodman puts it all out there. In a different aspect, you see the human aspect of him. It always seemed like he wanted to be a character, but he was actually a very accepting and giving person. Its just that no one wanted to ever believe that so it was never made public. In the book, he talks about Magic Johnson’s decision to still play after announcing he was HIV positive, admitting that he could not understand why players like Karl Malone refused to play side by side with him. He admits that he wanted to play Johnson just as tough as he had before and he shaved the AIDS ribbon into his scalp in support of him and those struggling with the disease. He also admits that even though he didn’t have his own foundation or put his name on a charity it was because he wanted to go out there and help the people struggling. He would walk around the stadium and pass out money or tickets to the homeless, especially in Detroit. Probably the most interesting thing that he reveals is that he didn’t pick up a basketball until he was already in his twenties and he only went to a junior college after a recruiter pushed him to go. This book was definitely interesting as is everything with Dennis Rodman, even the way it is written keeps your attention. There are some lines that are bolded, some that are smaller, and some quotes that take up entire pages, but what did you expect? Twelve point Times New Roman the entire way? This is definitely worth reading especially to see which players garnered his respect and which ones he describes as overrated.
