Dennis Rodman is considered to be one of the most excellent rebounders of all time. Apart from his rebounding skills on the court, he was also well renowned globally for his colorful personality and eccentric lifestyle. While leading a high-profile career as an athlete, he also had several tumultuous relationships which significantly shaped his life. One of the most prominent was his marriage to Annie Bakes in 1992. In the same year of his wedding, Rodman earned around $2,350,000 with his contract at Detroit Pistons. However, when he learned that his wife was with him for monetary benefits, the thought of the same devastated Rodman.

A further nail in the coffin was when Rodman figured his wife was cheating with one of his Pistons teammates. The heartbreak and betrayal drove Rodman to take the extreme step of ending his life with a shotgun. Thankfully, he reverted from his decision and is living a healthy life now.

In 1992, the 31-year-old Rodman was living at the peak of his career achievements. He had two championships till then with Detroit Pistons, who were the infamous bad-boy Pistons. While on the court, Rodman was a menace to rival teams with his defensive prowess. Off the court, he was known for his flamboyant and extravagant lifestyle.

Dennis Rodman accuses ex-wife Annie Bakes of chasing his money

Rodman’s life was at its glorious peak when he met Annie Bakes. He was experiencing the pinnacles of success in his career. However, all was not well with Rodman and Bakes after they married in 1992. In his book Bad As I Wanna Be, Rodman revealed how he was tricked into marrying Bakes for his then-net worth. Discussing his married life, Rodman wrote:

“I think I GOT USED in the marriage. I think I GOT TRICKED into marriage. I think IT WAS A SETUP from the start. I got used within the system. There’s a woman who supposedly loves you, and then all of a sudden she turns around and tries to take every dime you’ve got. Why? Because it belongs to her all of a sudden, after eighty-two days of marriage? No, it does not.”

Rodman said Bakes was cheating on him with one of his Pistons teammates. This caused severe heartbreak to the Worm that he contemplated suicide. In an attempt for the same, Rodman sat in his car with a shotgun in his mouth, trying to end his life. However, he later revealed he fell asleep listening to Pearl Jam’s music in his car and could never attempt to end his life. Perhaps, this was a great decision for the former Pistons star, given he went on to win a three-peat and have a further illustrious career in the Bulls with Michael Jordan.

That was not all. Dennis Rodman’s extravagant and pompous lifestyle had started drawing questions, even from the NBA. His transgressions with the law did not align with the league’s code of conduct. On numerous occasions, the league almost fined Rodman for violating the code of conduct. Yet, he continued to live the way he did and constantly featured as a starter during his time at the Bulls and the Pistons.

 Rodman’s illustrious NBA career

Dennis Rodman’s decision against ending his life was perhaps one for his best. He eventually divorced his wife after eighty-two days of marriage and made a move to San Antonio Spurs in 1993.

The Worm was considered the king of rebounding, averaging 13.1 rebounds per game over 911 games in the NBA. Alongside his two titles at Detroit Pistons, Rodman also won a three-peat with the mighty Chicago Bulls. He was an integral part of the Bulls dynasty, which would be a significant highlight of his NBA career.