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Falling Asleep While Listening To Pearl Jam Saved Dennis Rodman From Killing Himself

Dennis Rodman played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed “The Worm” and was known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities.

Rodman played at the small forward position in his early years before becoming a power forward. He earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice. He also led the NBA in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and won five NBA championships. He is arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history. On April 1, 2011, the Pistons retired Rodman’s No. 10 jersey, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later that year.

But, as illustrious his career was, as dark was it behind the glory at times.

In 1993, Rodman was found asleep in a car holding a shotgun in the Pistons arena parking lot. He had intended to kill himself. The loss of teammates to trades had effected Rodman more than anyone could have imagined. But music by Pearl Jam eventually saved him.

Per Bleacher Report:

“So one day, I wrote a note and went to the parking lot of the Palace. I had a gun rack, and I had a gun in my car. I had it in my hand. But for some reason, I played this music. I put it on, and I was listening to this song and this music, and I was just debating,” Rodman recalled. “It didn’t have anything to do with basketball. It had to do with this love that I wanted, and it suddenly just left me.

And this song came on. It was Pearl Jam. “Even Flow” and “Black” and stuff like that. And I had the gun in my lap, and next thing you know, I fell asleep listening to Pearl Jam. Then I woke up, and all the cops and everyone was there. I didn’t know what was going on. I totally forgot I had a gun in my hand. They got me out of the car. That was pretty much what it was. It wasn’t about the game of basketball. It was about feeling betrayed, because I wanted to be loved so much in my life. And when I got to the NBA, I didn’t expect the NBA to be like that. I didn’t expect teams to just trade players and you say, “OK, this is a business” and forget about it. That was what drove me to that point.”