Perhaps the Worm has turned for Bulls as Thompson makes solid debut
Is this valid NBA team-building advice?
Get yourself a power forward who looks at Dennis Rodman as a role model.
The Bulls found one when they signed veteran forward Tristan Thompson. After scoring 11 points in 13 minutes during his Bulls debut, Thompson talked about how much he admires the colorful former Bulls power forward.
"Idolize Dennis Rodman, idolize The Worm," Thompson said. "I believe he was the first in this league, in NBA history, to be a star in their role. I remember saying that exact quote, "Be a star in your role,' when we were making those championship runs in Cleveland."
"He was the definition of being a star in your role and that was something I wanted to embody in myself and in my game."
Beginning with his days in Detroit, Rodman made defense and rebounding a priority.
During the second Bulls championship run, it was common to see Rodman grab an offensive rebound under the basket, then dribble out to the 3-point line and hand the ball to Michael Jordan without ever looking at the basket.
Rodman led the NBA in rebounds for seven straight years from 1992-98, while playing for the Pistons, Spurs and Bulls.
"I remember in the playoffs, I used to watch his clips for like five minutes before every playoff game," Thompson said. "Just his activity, keeping the ball alive, being relentless. Kind of just put that fire inside of me."
Thompson hasn't led the league in rebounds, but did average 10 boards per game with Cleveland for two seasons from 2018-20. His highest scoring average in the NBA was 12.0 points in 2020. Rodman averaged double-digit points just once in 14 seasons.
"So the fact that I'm able to put on a Chicago Bulls jersey and just go out there and try to make Dennis proud, that's all I'm trying to do," Thompson said. "He's a Hall-of-Famer, a guy I look up to, the way he plays.
"Everything he does in life, I look up to. No, he's great. It's an honor. They need to retire that 91. Come on now, let's get to it."
Retiring Rodman's No. 91 seems unlikely, since he spent just three seasons with the Bulls.
The next step for Thompson is actually meeting his idol. If Thompson was still with the Cavs, they could have met up in Cleveland last week, since Rodman showed up for the 75th anniversary team celebration at the All-Star Game.
"I got the IG follow, so that's dope," Thompson said. "I always buy his merch, support him. His vintage shirts are pretty cool. He's got a collab coming out with Vlone. See, quick plug. So big fan of Dennis. The Dennis Rodman."
Rodman might have set a record for going from disliked to beloved in Chicago. The process took probably two weeks in 1995.
Thompson is well on his way to becoming a fan favorite at the United Center. He had a couple of big dunks in Thursday's win over Atlanta to get the fans hyped. As we all know, Chicago fans love hardworking players.
"Not surprised. I played against him for years," new teammate DeMar DeRozan said. "Understanding what he brings, I know every bit of it and it was fun to see us in the same jersey tonight. You could tell his impact, what it brings right away."
Thompson's Cavaliers never reached the level of nastiness as Rodman's "Bad Boys" Pistons teams.
But he did play against the Bulls in a second-round playoff series in 2015, when Derrick Rose and LeBron James took turns hitting buzzer-beating game-winners at the UC.
"Part of my niche and what's helped me be part of some really good teams is my energy," Thompson said. "Whether it's a dunk or a big offensive rebound or they call a loose-ball foul or blocked shot - whatever can get our team going and get us riled up to go on a run - that's what I'm about and I'm all about winning."
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports