NBA Hall of Famer Robert Parish isn’t one to mince words—and his latest comments about Michael Jordan’s legacy are stirring up debate across the basketball world. In a recent appearance on The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty, the Celtics legend claimed that the Chicago Bulls’ second three-peat would have been impossible without one man: Dennis Rodman.
“Let’s not forget. Chicago wouldn’t have won sh*t without Dennis Rodman,” Parish said. “I don’t care how good Michael and Scottie Pippen were, they wouldn’t have won sh*t without Dennis Rodman”.
Parish, who played with the Bulls during the 1996–97 season, emphasized that Rodman’s rebounding and defensive dominance were the glue that held the late-’90s Bulls together. While Jordan and Pippen were the faces of the franchise, Rodman was the engine that powered their gritty, physical identity.
“Luc Longley, and that other m**********r—I can’t think of the other center’s name—they was just in the way,” Parish added, referring to the Bulls’ other big men. “If it wasn’t for Dennis Rodman… Chicago wasn’t winning sh*t”.
Rodman joined the Bulls in 1995 after Jordan’s return from retirement and the team’s disappointing playoff exit at the hands of Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic. With Rodman anchoring the paint, Chicago went on to win three straight championships from 1996 to 1998, including a then-record 72-win season.
Rodman averaged 15.3 rebounds per game during that stretch and routinely guarded the opposing team’s best frontcourt player. His relentless hustle and ability to disrupt games without scoring made him a perfect fit alongside Jordan and Pippen.
Parish’s comments don’t diminish Jordan’s greatness—but they do highlight how even the most iconic players rely on the right supporting cast. Rodman’s eccentric personality and off-court antics often overshadowed his on-court brilliance, but to those who played with him, his value was never in question.
