Rodman Apologizes to Pippen; League Fines Him $5,000 Anyway
At least one Bad Boy says he’s sorry for his tough on-court tactics, but that didn’t prevent the NBA from fining him $5,000.
Dennis Rodman, the Detroit Pistons’ 6-foot-9 defensive specialist, wrote a letter to Scottie Pippen apologizing for shoving the Chicago Bull forward into a basket upright during an Eastern Conference finals Monday.
Rodman, the NBA defensive player of the year, pushed Pippen in the back after Pippen was fouled by Detroit’s Bill Laimbeer in the second quarter of Chicago’s clinching 115-94 victory at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The NBA announced the fine Wednesday.
“You are a great player and I’m glad you weren’t hurt by the incident,” Rodman said in the letter. “It was merely one of frustration.”
The Bulls swept the two-time defending champions 4-0 to reach the NBA finals for the first time in team history.
The letter also apologized to the Bulls organization and wished Pippen and his teammates luck in the finals. Copies were sent to league officials and officials for both teams.
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