Net Worth Ranker
What Is Dennis Rodman’s Net Worth?
Dennis Rodman, the retired American professional basketball player, actor, and political diplomat, has an estimated net worth of $500,000. This figure reflects his earnings from a 14-season NBA career, various acting roles, endorsements, and other ventures, offset by significant financial challenges and legal issues over the years.
Dennis Rodman’s Career Earnings and Salary Details
During his NBA career, Dennis Rodman earned approximately $27 million in salary. Adjusted for inflation, this sum equates to around $43 million today. His highest-earning season was 1996-97 while playing for the Chicago Bulls, during which he received $9 million, equivalent to about $15 million today. That season, he was the 10th highest-paid player in the league, showcasing his value and impact on the court.
Beyond his base salary, Rodman accumulated additional income from endorsements, book sales, and appearance fees. While specific figures for these earnings are not detailed, it’s evident that they contributed significantly to his overall income during his peak years. However, these gains were often offset by substantial fines and suspensions. For instance, in 1997, after kicking a referee in the groin, Rodman was fined $200,000 and suspended for 11 games, costing him a total of $1 million in earnings.
Dennis Rodman’s Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Dennis Keith Rodman on May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey, Rodman’s early life was marked by challenges. He grew up in Dallas, raised by his mother, Shirley, who worked multiple jobs to support the family after his father left. Rodman is believed to be the oldest of his father’s 47 children. After graduating from South Oak Cliff High School, he worked as an overnight janitor at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Initially standing at only 5 ft 6, he experienced a significant growth spurt, reaching 6 ft 7, which led him to pursue basketball more seriously.
Rodman’s college basketball career began at Cooke County College, but he left after one semester due to poor academic performance. He then transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he excelled and earned Most Valuable Player honors. His performance in college caught the attention of the Detroit Pistons, who drafted him as the 3rd pick in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft.
Dennis Rodman’s Professional Basketball Career
Dennis Rodman’s NBA career spanned 14 seasons, during which he played for the Detroit Pistons (1986-1993), San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. Known as “The Worm,” Rodman was celebrated for his exceptional rebounding ability, tenacious defense, and unconventional personality. He won five NBA championships, two with the Pistons and three with the Bulls, and was a two-time NBA All-Star. Rodman also led the league in rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history.
Rodman’s defensive prowess earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award twice, and he was selected for the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times consecutively. His impact on the Pistons was so significant that they retired his #10 jersey in April 2011. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the same year. Over his NBA career, Rodman played in 911 games, scoring 6,683 points and grabbing 11,954 rebounds, averaging 7.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game in approximately 31.7 minutes of play.
Dennis Rodman’s Wrestling Career
From 1997 to 1999, Rodman ventured into professional wrestling with WCW (World Championship Wrestling). His first match was in July 1997 at Bash at the Beach, where he teamed with Hulk Hogan, losing to Lex Luger and The Giant. In August 1997, at Road Wild, Rodman and Hogan helped Hogan win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He participated in several more Bash at the Beach events before returning to WCW in 1999, feuding with Randy Savage.
Following a competition at the i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling pay-per-view event and a loss to Curt Henning, Rodman retired from wrestling in July 2000. He made a brief comeback in 2008 as a contestant on Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, winning the series against other contestants like Eric Esch and Dustin Diamond.
Dennis Rodman’s Other Pursuits
Rodman engaged in various other ventures, including his own MTV reality show in 1996, “The Rodman World Tour.” In 1997, he starred in his first feature film, “Double Team,” alongside Mickey Rourke and Jean-Claude Van Damme, which, despite its negative reception and three Golden Raspberry Awards, marked his entry into acting. He later appeared in “Simon Sez” (1999) and “Cutaway” (2000) and played himself in television shows like “3rd Rock from the Sun.” In 2005, he became the first man to pose naked for PETA. Also in 2005, Rodman was appointed Commissioner of the Lingerie Football League.
Rodman also participated in reality television, appearing on the UK version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2006 and “Love Island.” He won the grand prize of $222,000 on ABC’s “Celebrity Mole.” He was a contestant on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2009 and 2013. In recent years, Rodman has become involved in semi-diplomatic efforts with North Korea, making several trips and facilitating basketball exhibitions. In June 2018, he played a role in brokering a historic peace summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore. In 2018, Rodman secured a sponsorship with Pot Coin and frequently wore Pot Coin apparel during his visits to North Korea.
Rodman has released two autobiographies, “Bad as I Wanna Be” (1996) and “I Should Be Dead By Now” (2005), promoting them with unconventional stunts such as wearing a wedding dress and sitting in a coffin. In 2013, he released a children’s book titled “Dennis the Wild Bull,” co-written with Dustin Warburton and illustrated by Dan Monroe.
Dennis Rodman’s Financial Problems
Despite earning a substantial amount during his NBA career and from other ventures, Rodman has faced significant financial difficulties. On March 27, 2012, he appeared in court in Detroit, facing charges of owing $860,376 in child support to an ex-wife. His lawyers claimed that he was broke and unable to pay. These financial problems highlight the contrast between his high earnings during his career and his later financial struggles.
Dennis Rodman’s Personal Life and Struggles
Rodman’s personal life has been eventful and marked by several relationships and struggles. He was married to Annie Bakes in the early 1990s, and they had a daughter, Alexis, born in 1988. His marriage to Carmen Electra in November 1998 in Las Vegas lasted only four months before Electra filed for divorce. In 2003, Rodman married Michelle Moyer, with whom he had two children, Dennis Jr. and Trinity. Both children have pursued athletics, with Dennis Jr. playing college basketball for Washington State in 2019 and later transferring to USC, and Trinity playing women’s soccer for the Washington Spirit. Michelle filed for divorce in 2004, and the marriage was dissolved in 2012.
Rodman has battled alcohol addiction, leading to several arrests and rehab stints. In 1999, he was arrested for drunk driving and fined $2,000. He was again arrested for drunk driving in April 2004. He entered a rehab center in Florida in May 2008 and later appeared on “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2009. In January 2014, he re-entered rehab for alcohol abuse, and in January 2018, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Newport Beach, receiving three years of probation. In October 2019, he was charged with misdemeanor battery for slapping a man in Delray Beach, Florida.
Dennis Rodman’s Real Estate Investments
In 1996, Rodman purchased a two-story home on Seashore Drive in Newport for $825,000. He listed it for sale in 2004, and it eventually sold for $3.8 million, demonstrating a significant return on his initial investment. He also owned a residence in the Saddle Hill Ranch community in Orange County, California, which he sold after a year for $1.1 million.
These real estate transactions provide insight into Rodman’s investment strategies and his ability to generate profit from property sales. While details on other potential real estate holdings are not available, these transactions underscore the importance of real estate as part of his overall financial portfolio.
In 2020, Dennis Rodman endorsed and campaigned for rapper Kanye West’s presidential campaign.
