Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman doesn't know his father well. The aptly named Philander Rodman left Dennis' mother 48 years ago, and the former Pistons, Spurs, Bulls, Lakers and Mavericks forward hadn't seen his father for 42 years. Until recently, that is, when a barnstorming team Dennis plays for stumbled into Manila in the Philippines, and Dennis surprisingly agreed to a short meeting with his father.Philander Rodman Jr., who has acknowledged fathering 29 children by 16 mothers, says he was happy and surprised that his son agreed to meet him late Wednesday. He tried to meet the basketball Hall of Famer during another game in Manila in 2006.Philander, who has been living in the Philippines for nearly 50 years, said Thursday he wanted to explain to his son that he didn't abandon his family in the United States, but they only had time for greetings and handshakes.
That's correct. Twenty-nine children by 16 mothers. So, without any visual evidence to support it, you can at least assume that Dennis (who clearly, and we're not making some dry joke, suffers from incredible shyness and social anxiety) kept his sunglasses on and the discussion was brief. Dennis has a hard time talking to former teammates he once won championships with, so the father that left his house when he was 3 probably isn't the easiest to gab with.
This could explain certain statements made by Rodman in his book titled "Bad as I Wanna Be"...
"I paint my fingernails. I color my hair. I sometimes wear women's clothes."
He explains in his book: "As a kid I would sometimes dress as a girl. You play house, you play doctor--everybody does that, but some people like it more than others. I used to go through the whole routine--dress up, wear makeup, act like a girl."
Some fumed in the press that Rodman's transgender expression is a "distraction." Madison Square Garden President Dave Checketts raged: "When I saw the pictures of him showing up on the motorcycle with the makeup job, I just couldn't believe this is what it has come to. I guarantee you that as long as I'm running the New York Knicks, he will not be on this club." (here)
In his book, Rodman writes: "To hang out in a gay bar or put on a sequined halter top makes me feel like a total person and not just a one-dimensional man.
"It seems that people feel threatened when an athlete does something that is not considered manly. It's like they've crossed over some imaginary line that nobody thinks should be crossed."
Rodman noted, "The NBA image of a man is the one they put out on the commercials, with guys smiling and waving to the crowd. ... Isn't there room for some other kind of player out there? Some other kind of man?
"I want to challenge people's image of what an athlete is supposed to be. I like bringing out the feminine side of Dennis Rodman."
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