Bad as I Wanna Be

I love a good memoir!! Rodman, D., & Keown, T. (1996). Bad as I wanna be. Delacorte Press. Dennis Rodman is an American former professional basketball player initiated into the Hall of Fame in 2021. He played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks and was known for his defensive play and rebounding abilities. He played the power forward position. His memoir doesn't waste time with pleasantries. It opens (1993) with him sitting in The Palace parking lot contemplating suicide, then transforms that moment of despair into a declaration of independence. This sets the tone for what follows: a brutally honest, sometimes chaotic and compelling story of someone who refused to fit anyone's mold. Rodman's voice is blunt, repetitive at times, and unapologetically crude. But that's precisely its strength. This feels like Rodman speaking directly to you, profanity and all. A central tension is how Rodman seemingly and simultaneously craves recognition and rebels against the establishment that could grant it. He's bitter about being treated as "nothing more than a sports slave," yet he takes pride in doing "the things nobody wants to do." He claims the system punished him financially for not fitting the NBA mold, yet his nonconformity became his brand. This contradiction isn't resolved—and that's honest. Rodman himself seems caught between wanting validation and refusing to play by the rules that would earn it. He ends the narrative when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. My favorite part was his description of his basketball philosophy. What made Rodman the world's greatest rebounder wasn't just physical ability—it was mental preparation and obsession, "I train my mind to believe I need to get every rebound just to stay in the league. I force myself to believe I'm still hungry." He pursued an intellectual approach to understanding ball rotation and trajectory. His explanation of predicting where balls will land, of prioritizing quick jumps over high ones, of studying opponents' shooting tendencies on videotape—this is the work of a craftsman, not just a wild man. His defensive strategy was psychological: "I would get into their minds. . . . . I always made sure to look the guy right in the eyes." Rodman understands something fundamental: he's interesting precisely because he's contradictory. He's the homeless kid who made the NBA, a defensive specialist who became a pop culture icon, the team player who was impossible to coach. The book doesn't try to resolve these contradictions—it embraces them. This isn't a book for everyone. Those seeking polished prose or balanced self-reflection should look elsewhere. But for readers interested learning more about Rodman, this memoir ultimately tells the story of a man who refused to be anyone but himself, even when that meant being "too different, too weird." From homelessness to the NBA, his message is clear: the dirty work, the psychological warfare, the refusal to conform—it all mattered. As he said: "You can like me or hate me but all I can say is when I get on that d?mn floor all I'm going to do is get solid."

One of the few players to come into the NBA from poverty, homeless shortly before he got to go to a college. It is pretty repetitive, but he has a powerful message to tell about the NBA. I'm' glad I bought and read it despite its vulgarity and repetitive nature.

My son thought it was a good book.

Wild story of the man himself, and his life’s adventures, im not a huge reader, but I finished this book quick.

I am a big Dennis Rodman fan and I actually got the book for my son, because he loves basketball and he is very intrigued by Dennis Rodman. Well, this was my excuse:) Excellent book! Loved it!

Great boo

This is an awesome book. It is a really easy read and you will definitely find things out about "the worm" that you never knew. I highly recommend this book!

Fast delivery and in condition stated. Great price. I read this book when it first came out. Purchased as a gift for my basketball fanatic son.