Dennis Rodman says Lakers legend was his toughest defensive matchup
He won two consecutive NBA championships early in his career with the Detroit Pistons and then claimed three more in a row with the Chicago Bulls years later. Along the way, he guarded many of the game's top players, but he admitted that one was his toughest matchup, and it was someone who played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
During a recent stream with Neon, Rodman was asked who was the toughest player for him to guard. He said it was James Worthy, the Hall of Fame forward who played for the Lakers during the 1980s and early 1990s.
'James Worthy from the Lakers. Always him.'
That is quite a statement, especially considering that the league featured legends such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal, all of whom Rodman guarded, at least for certain stretches.
Rodman got to match up with Worthy during the NBA Finals in 1988 and 1989. Worthy got the best of that matchup in 1988 when he averaged 22.0 points a game during the championship series and exploded for 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 7. The Lakers won that seventh game, 108-105, and Worthy was named the series MVP.
In his prime, Worthy was a nightmare for anyone to guard. He had a full bag of head and shoulder fakes, outstanding footwork, speed and the ability to hit the face-up jumper out to about 16-18 feet.
Ironically, Rodman spent part of the 1999 season with the Lakers. By then, Worthy was long gone, and O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were the main men for L.A. Although Rodman wasn't in great shape and was flaky as far as his availability and being emotionally present, he still grabbed 11.2 rebounds in 28.6 minutes a game during that stint.
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