"Dennis changed how players look at their game" - Phil Jackson on Dennis Rodman proving not everything is about scoring

No matter how people slice it, Dennis Rodman won multiple NBA championships without scoring – two with the Detroit Pistons and three with the Chicago Bulls. As most can recall, Rodman played nothing more than the role of a rebounder and defender for the better part, and some argue that he wasn't pivotal to those championship runs. However, former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson begged to differ.

For Jackson, it had always been clear that Rodman was undeniably talented, and he didn't only help his teams win NBA titles; more importantly, he served as living proof to the next generation that basketball is not all about scoring.

There's no question about the fact this guy had a tremendous amount of talent for the game and changed the basketball concept," Jackson said of Rodman via Bulls.com in 2011. "Most basketball players are bent on scoring and that end of the court. Dennis changed how players look at their game, how they can impact the game despite not scoring but by rebounding and defending."

Rodman would've been a scorer if he wanted to

Indeed, Rodman paved the way for guys like Draymond Green and Steven Adams. Like the 'Worm,' they contribute to their teams by playing pesky defense and fighting their way out to grab every rebound. However, what made Rodman more interesting is the fact that he was neither built nor destined to be a pure defender and rebounder. At one point, he was a legitimate scorer.

For those who didn't know, Rodman was a scoring and rebounding machine in college. He was a three-time NAIA All-American who averaged career-best totals of 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds per game.

Jackson was still an assistant coach for the Bulls when the Detroit Pistons drafted Rodman in 1987. In the summer league, Dennis logged a staggering 36 points per game, and Jackson witnessed it firsthand.

Even though Rodman was gifted with natural scoring ability, he had an innate love for banging bodies and going hard, so he didn't find it challenging to transition to being a pure defender and rebounder. Looking back, Jackson reckoned the fact that Rodman had Isiah Thomas in Detroit and Michael Jordan in Chicago even came in handy for him.

"He knew some guys could score better than he could, so he felt — why worry about it… When he went to the Pistons (and later the Bulls), he saw there were guys who could score, so he didn't worry about that," Jackson weighed in.

Rodman crafted a unique gritty role

Unlike other aspiring NBA players, Rodman didn't have a role model to look up to in the league. But for a college player who could rack up 20+ points per game any given day, it was a no-brainer to try and be a scorer on basketball's biggest stage.

However, upon realizing he didn't need to exhaust himself on the offensive end, Rodman concluded that it was about time he ditched scoring to focus solely on the other things he did best – going hard for the boards and playing lockdown defense.

"There's not a guy in the league, besides me, who doesn't want to score. That's why nobody can believe me: I DON'T WANT TO SCORE," he added.

Rodman reached superstar status without scoring

It didn't take long before Rodman gained popularity in the NBA for his on and off-the-court antics. Whether it was because of his charisma, bad boy image, or otherworldly defensive and rebounding skills, Rodman undoubtedly carved his own path en route to superstardom.

In retrospect, Jackson acknowledged that Rodman's fame was undeniable, but on the other hand, he also knew it wasn't only because of his defense and rebounding.

"But he is kind of an enigma. No doubt, he was one of the most famous personalities in the last 20 years of basketball," Jackson concluded of Rodman.