Rodman Rules Chicago, Seattle Next

Flopping or upright, with feather boa or without, Dennis Rodman rules. In Game 1, he does a swan dive that sends Seattle Coach George Karl into apoplexy. In Game 2, he sets an NBA finals’ record for offensive rebounds, takes 20 in all, wins a late jump ball and hits the clinching free throw. The Chicago Bulls lead the series, 2-0, and he’s as good a reason as any.

“I wish he was as confused about his basketball as his sexuality,” said the SuperSonics’ Frank Brickowski before Friday’s game. “We’d be in better shape.”

At least they’re going home, as things are reckoned here. Friday night was the Bulls’ farewell to the United Center before heading to Seattle for wins in Game 3 and 4, a sweep, a title, a parade and canonization.

In real life, the local heroes rolled and tumbled down the stretch, giving up 10 points of a 13-point lead and clinging to that lead for dear life.

With :06 left and Seattle within three points, Scottie Pippen missed the second of two free throws but Rodman got his hands on the ball and tied up Sam Perkins.

Perkins is two inches taller than Rodman, with long arms and a significant reach advantage. What was a Worm to do?

He jumped into Perkins on the first jump ball. No one tipped the ball so the officials took it over.

On the second jump, Rodman did his trick again, and no one tipped it, again.

They threw it up a third time. Rodman jumped into Perkins again. This time the ball went into play--and Rodman beat everyone to it and was fouled. With :03 left, he hit the clinching free throw.

“ ‘Course I thought he did [jump into Perkins],” said Karl. “One time I thought he grabbed his arm but there’s no way we’re going to get that call. Give Dennis Rodman his due. He had an MVP game tonight.”

It was another star-spangled night at the United Center. The team that has to make do with movie critic Gene Siskel as its signature groupie, had the rock star formerly known as Prince here Friday, and Sen. Robert Dole, who as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is indulging a newfound love for professional basketball.

Appropriately, as a would-be leader of all the people, Dole is rooting for all the teams.

In Orlando where the Magic was playing the Bulls, he announced: “I’m rooting for the underdog, Bob Dole and the Magic.”

In Chicago Friday, he declared: “I’m a Michael Jordan fan. He’s from my wife’s home state. He does epitomize what I think is the best of competition.”

Friday, however, wasn’t the best of Jordan. He made five of his first seven shots but only four of the last 15 and settled for a sedate (for him) 29 points.

Once again, the Bulls didn’t dominate. The teams struggled on even terms for most of the night, as they had in Game 1. And, as they did in Game 1, the Bulls broke it open with a late run with Toni Kukoc hitting back-to-back three-point baskets.

This time, however, it was the Bulls who sagged. By the end of the game, as Karl noted, the Chicago offense seemed to consist of a shot, a miss, a Rodman offensive rebound and another 20 seconds off the clock.

“Maybe it was a play they were running,” said Karl.

“We know what he’s there for,” Seattle’s Hersey Hawkins said. “He’s out there just to rebound. Hey, that’s his job. He’s the best, probably in history at getting through two guys and being able to get the ball.”

All in all, it hasn’t been a bad season for Rodman. A year ago he was in trouble for taking his shoes off on the San Antonio bench and assorted other distractions. Now he’s the toast of the finals.

“I think it’d be more of a satisfaction for me to go out and prove people wrong,” Rodman said. “A lot of people want to see Dennis Rodman fail. That’s the reason San Antonio [traded] me to Chicago, so I could bring the Bulls down.

“And it’s been a total opposite. That is my whole deal this year, just to prove everybody wrong, that I belong here and hopefully that I can bring a championship.”

He’s just two victories from a title and who knows what else? Maybe a new contract offer that will keep him here. In either case, it’s been memorable.