Marital Problems Distract Rodman

The origins of Dennis Rodman’s indefinite leave of absence from the Lakers can be traced back at least a week, when he missed a team practice and stayed at his Newport Beach home because he was distraught over serious problems with his marriage to actress Carmen Electra, sources say.

Rodman, who was in Las Vegas over the weekend, Monday reportedly told TNT he was having marital problems, confirming the accounts of sources over the weekend.

The matrimonial drama, apparently involving dual charges of infidelity and including counseling by Laker owner Jerry Buss--a friend of Rodman’s--continued through last week, though Rodman played against the Clippers on Tuesday (grabbing a season-high 20 rebounds) and Wednesday.

Rodman drew two technical fouls and was thrown out of Wednesday’s game--then sent an apology to Coach Kurt Rambis.

Last Friday, after eight spiritless minutes against the Golden State Warriors at the Great Western Forum, sources say that a distracted Rodman told Rambis his head wasn’t into the game and asked the coach to keep him out of the remainder of it--which Rambis did, as the Lakers won with relative ease.

Rodman, who sat on the bench with a towel over his head for most of the second half, apparently also mentioned that his elbow was sore.

Electra was in the crowd for Friday’s game, although it is unclear if she and Rodman spoke that night.

“He told me at halftime he aggravated his elbow and was willing and ready to play if I needed him,” Rambis said Sunday. “But if I didn’t need him, he would prefer to sit out because of his elbow.

“That’s what I was told. We didn’t need him, I didn’t play him.”

Rodman showed up at the end of the team’s Saturday practice, told Rambis he would not be accompanying the team at least at the start of its six-game trip and then drove off, leaving his two bodyguards to continue the discussion.

A source said that both Rodman and Electra, who were married last summer, are considering filing for divorce.

There were reports that Buss had been scheduled to fly to Las Vegas last weekend to meet with Rodman, but team officials would neither confirm nor deny such a meeting was either planned or occurred.

Rodman is getting paid for the games he misses, the team has said.

According to his own published accounts, Rodman’s first marriage also broke up over alleged infidelities, and he has said that he suffered a breakdown when the divorce was finalized.

Laker Vice President and part-owner Magic Johnson, who was in Sacramento Sunday to watch the game, said he didn’t know the details of Rodman’s excused absence.

But Johnson, who publicly wondered if Rodman was worth the trouble when his signing was delayed several weeks, said he isn’t worried that the Laker franchise is being sullied.

“I think we built an organization that was about class and respect--if we lose some of that, then I’ll be worried,” Johnson said. “But right now, we haven’t lost anything.

“We’ve just got a guy who’s going to be out. That’s not going to take away from what we built up.

“Now, if something happens . . . where he does something crazy, then you can say, yeah, I’ll be upset. But right now, there’s nothing to worry about.”