FanHouse DennisRodman

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Thursday, there are 5 days remaining.

It takes five years of retirement for a player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Make it 10 for Dennis Rodman, who always did things differently. He did win five NBA titles.

If you think that Michael Jordan caused a commotion with an unconventional acceptance speech last month when he headlined the Class of 2009, just wait until Rodman shows up in 2010 wearing a dress and lipstick.

Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it on a topic. We came up with the catchy title, Debate in the Paint. This week: Which team has had the best offseason?

The Los Angeles Lakers started this decade with three consecutive NBA titles. They will finish it by winning the last two.

Anything less would be a surprise.

Although much was made of the summertime roster additions among the top three contenders in the Eastern Conference – Boston, Cleveland, Orlando -- it was the defending champion Lakers who orchestrated the most significant moves in the off-season.

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Sunday, there are 72 days remaining.

The number 72 conjures up just one memory in the NBA: the marvelous Chicago Bulls of 1995-96, who racked up an unbelievable 72-10 record. No team has ever reached 70 wins, let alone 72. Not Russell's Celtics, not Magic's Lakers -- no one. Heck, even the Bulls couldn't match their own standard in the two title seasons that followed '96.

I heard Michael Jackson died at approximately 5:30 PM ET. Hours later, I still don't think it's fully hit me. This was the man I idolized growing up as a kid ... I watched Moonwalker about 80 times on VHS (Joe Pesci was the villain). I once furiously outbid someone $159 for a replica Beat It jacket with 13 zippers. I actually have an 8x10 glossy of Billie Jean Michael taped next to my bedroom door.

Everyone -- from celebrities to sports stars to ordinary people -- had their way of trying to feel connected to the King of Pop. In his mere presence, fans have fainted and needed medical attention. So when news broke that Jackson had passed away, the reverberations on social media sites like Twitter were immense. Outspoken wide receiver Chad Ochocinco even went on to tweet "this is just as sad as 9/11" and then tried to play damage control after his offensive comment.

After the jump, read the emotional reactions from current and former athletes.

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The Pistons honored their All-Time team last night, and as you can see, this is one place where the love for Isiah Thomas will never die. (Unless he's hired as head coach someday, but let's hope that never happens). As the Bad Boys were introduced, Isiah easily got the loudest cheer from the crowd.

So could those championship Bad Boys teams beat today's incarnation of the Pistons? Rasheed Wallace thinks not:

Isiah addressed the crowd before the game and joked that he didn't know who would win between the old school Bad Boys and today's Pistons. Rasheed, though, was less bashful. "I think we could have got them. It would be a hell of a game. I'll tell you that. I'm not sure who would win – of course I'm going to say us – but damn, it would be a hell of a game. A hell of a game."

It depends on the rules. If it's the 89-90 season and you can play Bad Boys-style basket-brawl (not a bad thing mind you, I was a fan), then I give the nod to the old-timers. If it's today's kindler, gentler NBA (well, mostly) then I think the current Pistons would get it done.

Conspicuously absent from the ceremony was Dennis Rodman, and Isiah didn't let it go unnoticed when he addressed the crowd:

"Worm," he said, "wherever you are, you've got to come home."

The Nuggets and Lakers certainly produced an odd box score. Beyond Allen Iverson's explosion (as described by our Brett Edwards last night), there's the matter of Marcus Camby, who recorded a brilliant 20 rebounds... but no points. Seems odd? It is -- this would be only the second occurrence of the 'feat' since 1997, as Reggie Evans pulled it off two seasons ago.

If I told you it happened seven times between 1993 and 1997, I bet you could guess the culprit in one try: Dennis Rodman. The peak of The Worm's skewed box scores came in 1993 with the Spurs, when Rodman went for 28 rebounds -- including ten on offense -- without a point. Ten putback opportunities, zero baskets. Camby recorded four offensive boards last night, and went 0-3.

The difference between Camby and Rodman? Denver expects Marcus score; the Spurs and Bulls of the 90s had no such aspirations for Rodman. In one of those 20-rebound, 0-point games, Rodman didn't even record a field goal attempt or free throw try.

This grainy footage purports to show Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, and "others" getting their run on. Because it's a slow news days, I'll take that leap of faith ... I think I hear Reggie's voice, and that bald-headed dude in the Bulls shorts looks a lot like Jordan. The question is, do you buy it? And if so, who else is on the court?

Dennis Rodman may want to be voted into the Hall of Fame, but he's not making it easy on himself. No, I'm not talking about another high-profile incident that may taint his reputation (if that's still possible), but rather his resistance to simply hanging up his sneakers. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

The Moe the merrier for the Rochester RazorSharks?

The American Basketball Association's defending champions are negotiating with former NBA star Dennis Rodman to play in one of the final two regular-season home games (Tuesday or Thursday of next week) as the team's celebrity "13th Man."

Rodman might not score more points than popular bar owner Moe Alaimo did last Thursday night in his cameo appearance (two), but he'd probably grab more rebounds.

As we mentioned last month, a player needs to stop playing professional basketball for at least five years before he can be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Granted, the Worm hasn't appeared in an NBA game since the 2000 season, but he's since had stints in the ABA, the British Basketball League as well as a game in Finland. I don't know if appearing as the "13th" man for an ABA team technically resets the clock for eligibility, but if so I hope his over-whelming need to be recognized now won't outweigh common sense.

(via Ben Maller)

On the same I day I find out that Josh Howard's favorite book is "Othello" and that Nate Robinson plays 2K7 as his pixelated-self, I learn John Amaechi is terrified of an intoxicated Dennis Rodman. I tell you; today's gossip mill is churning 'em out like Spears does crazy! That final gem via a reader at -- earmuffs, Tim -- Queerty:

John Amaechi and Dennis Rodman were both hanging out at West Hollywood gay bar, The Abbey on Saturday afternoon. Don't think Rodman realized John was there, but John definitely saw Rodman and tried to stay as far away as possible! Rodman was so out of it that while walking down Santa Monica Boulevard toward the bar, his friends had to keep him from walking in front of on-coming traffic.

Whoa, whoa, whoa ... hold on just a second. I realize this is from an anonymous e-mailer and I'm supposed to take it with a grain of salt and all, but I see two glaring problems with this "alleged incident." 1. What in the world is John Amaechi doing at a gay bar? Please explain. And 2. Dennis Rodman has friends? Give me a freaking break...

(Thanks to Boi From Troy ... I think.)

It's been on my mind lately. Vincent M. Mallozzi wrote about it in the New York Times a few days ago, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was talking about it on the Best Damn Sports Show last night. Kareem adds his voice to those of Scottie Pippen and Isiah Thomas, both of whom believe that The Worm is a first-ballot hall-of famer.

For those of you who like to make your Hall of Fame arguments based on stats, sample these:

• 5 NBA championships
• 2-time All-Star
• 2-time Defensive Player of the Year
• 7-time NBA 1st team All-Defensive Team
• 10th All-Time in NBA history in rebounds per game, ahead of Moses Malone, Tim Duncan, Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kareem, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
• 33rd in NBA history in all-time Field Goal percentage.
• Led the NBA six times in offensive rebounds, three times in defensive rebounds
• All-time leader in NBA history in Rebound Rate (the percentage of missed shots rebounded while a player was on the floor, kept since 1971) with 23.44. No one is within 2.5 percentage points of him.
• Did all this at 6'8".

I think that's enough to get him in right there, and if you care to observe non-statistical factors, his case becomes bulletproof. The man changed games. Only elite players come into games and change them immediately, and Rodman did that.

It wasn't because he needed the ball in his hands, or because he'd light up the scoreboard. But it was his relentless work ethic, his determination to get to the ball, and his willingness to do anything to frustrate you. He might have been the single most difficult player to play against in NBA history. Certain guys can make the argument that their defensive prowess and work ethic put them on par with Rodman, but he did it mentally, too ... he would throw people so far off their game they didn't even know where the hell they were.

The argument against him, of course, was that he was a goofball. But if you look at the three teams where he spent considerable time, only one of those teams couldn't stand him, and that was San Antonio. It was, at the time, the home of David Robinson, and Rodman and Robinson had just slightly different personalities. You could argue, though, that Robinson wouldn't have won the MVP without Rodman next to him doing the dirty work.

I say he belongs in, and I don't think it's even close.