Dennis Rodman has been one of my all time favorite players. Despite what many feel about him, he was one of the best defenders and maybe the best rebounder the game has ever seen.

If D. Rodman had held off, and come to the Lakers one year later, as Phil Jackson reportedly implored him to do, he would have been there for the Shaq/Kobe 3peat. Had this been the case he would have amassed the following collection of rings:

Detroit: 2 championships
Chicago: 3 championships
LA: 3 championships

And lord knows how many more rebounding titles. It’s a very big what if; but the memory I’ll take to my grave was the image of Shaq pulling down a rebound and firing it down the court for an easy lay up. Something I only ever saw him do when he played side by side with Dennis Rodman. The influence was undeniable.