During his time with the Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman was already famous in the NBA as the bad boy who does what he wants. However, he still managed to top himself.
His crazy outfits, hair colors, and overall image were legendary, as was his behavior. During the 1997/1998 NBA season, he was allowed a vacation in Las Vegas for 48 hours. But Rodman being Rodman, he overstayed and was late for practice.
Coach of the Bulls Phil Jackson, as well as Michael Jordan gave their blessing to Rodman. He needed to let out some steam and asked for a vacation. He was the number two player at the time, stepping up for the injured Scottie Pippen. When Pippen finally returned 35 games into the season, he needed time off. Rodman then went to Vegas in the middle of the season and stay longer than the original 48 hours.
He spent his time partying, and then after-partying. One of the biggest celebrities of the time, Carmen Electra, revealed in the special documentary titled “The Last Dance” what it was like to be his girlfriend for those several days.
She can recall those crazy days perfectly. The “Baywatch” star said, “I do remember being in Vegas with him. It was on, the party was starting right away.” Some footage from of the drinking and partying was also made public.
Electra continues, “One thing about Dennis, he had to escape, he liked to go out, he liked to go to clubs. We go to his favorite restaurant, then we got o a nightclub, then we go to after hours, it didn’t stop.”
“It was definitely an occupational hazard to be Dennis’s girlfriend,” said the former actress, singer, and model. “He was wild! But to be honest, I didn’t realize what the team’s schedule was. I didn’t know he took a detour.” Rodman of course never came back on time and the team had to go to Vegas to get him.
Jordan himself went to get him. He said this about how he found him, “He didn’t come back on time. We had to go get [him] out the bed, and I’m not gonna say what’s in his bed, where he was, blah, blah, blah..”
Lucky for us, Carmen Electra spilled the beans! “There’s a knock on the door, it’s Michael Jordan, and I hid! I didn’t want him to see me like that, so I was like hiding behind the couch with covers over me!” “Come on, we gotta get to practice!” Michael yelled at him.
The pair later even got married, but their marriage was very short lived. They tied the knot in November of 1998 in Las Vegas. Soon after, in April of 1999, they divorced. The reason for the divorce were “amicable circumstances.”
Read also: What Happened to Carmen Electra And Where Is She Today?
Nicola Holder