William C. Phillips III

Red hair, green hair, blond hair, tattoos and pierced body parts; it all adds up to leading the NBA in rebounds.

Dennis Rodman’s 14.9 rebounding average per game is one of the reasons why the Chicago Bulls are one of the best teams in the league with a 41-4 record. The team has also posted the best road record in the league at 19-4. All of this supports the fact that rebounding wins games.

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Without Rodman’s rebounds Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would not have many chances to deliver spectacular gravity-defying dunks, or have second chances when they do miss a shot.

Dennis Rodman for Will Perdue, the deal between the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, was the trade of the century, and along with Jordan and Pippen, he has made the Bulls the greatest show on earth. Perdue did not have the same impact rebounding that Rodman has.

Rodman has consistently grabbed boards and played great defense for the Bulls outweighing his almost invisible 5.6 points per game. Even though Rodman does not have great scoring ability, his rebounding and defensive efforts represent All-Star quality, and have added a previously missing dimension to the team. It’s because of Rodman’s 110-percent hustle every game that the Bulls will break the 69- game win record of the 1971-72 Lakers.

The Worm is a major factor why the Bulls are dominating the NBA, and will be ranked among the greatest teams of all time as it wins the NBA title. The Bulls have only lost two games with Rodman in the line up and he has shut-down some of the best power forwards in the league such as Shawn Kemp and Karl Malone. The Bulls added a spirit of aggressiveness to the game upon his arrival in Chicago.

I believe Rodman deserves to go to the All-Star game because, not only does he lead the league in rebounding, but his presence on the Bulls has changed the attitude of the entire team. They are playing with more confidence and aggression. I just don’t understand how the leading rebounder in the league is not considered an All-Star. He has not been a trouble maker with the Bulls, unlike in San Antonio last season, and he only has been ejected out of one game this season.

In Chicago the fans love Rodman. He has become more of a crowd favorite than Jordan, but some fans overlooked Rodman because they are worried about his behavior in the All-Star game and the image he may present. The last All-Star game Rodman played in he was beating-up people, and I don’t think that went too well with the league. But that was the past and this is now. The fans want to see dunks and three-pointers, but not a player who really deserves to be there.

The NBA All-Star Game should be based on abilitynot image. It’s supposed to be about what the people wantnot what the league wants . Since the people want Rodman displayed in the showcase, I think he should be allowed to play. It is unfair that the high-stepping, leading rebounder will not be present in Arizona with the other so-called All-Stars. The back-up power forwards for the All-Star game (Vin Baker, Juwan Howard, Glen Rice), do not even match up to Rodman stats (14.9 rebounds, 5.6 points and 2.9 assists), and he has only played 32 games due to a calf injury earlier in the season.

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I agree with Rodman that the league overlooked him because of a personal vendetta, or that people in charge think of him as Satan. I see a double standard. If the league does not likes you, despite what the fans want, you will not go to the All-Star’s game. Straight up and down, the league snubbed him because it does not like his image, and claims he is weird.

We must look past his image because that has nothing to do with his athletic ability. On the court he proves to be one of the top players in the NBA. There is no doubt in my mind, that he is one of the 12 best players in the Eastern Division.