Dennis Rodman

Given the honorable-yet-fruitless label of being the Chicago Bulls’ greatest threat to NBA Finals appearance No. 6, the Miami Heat — in both the lead-up and aftermath of their Christmas Day duel — talked at length on how they hadn’t forgotten the prior season’s Eastern Conference Finals result. Through one trademark, fourth quarter hustle play, Dennis Rodman issued last year’s runner-ups with a harsh reminder of just how little had changed in 1997-98. With a hard-fought victory right around the corner, the seven-time rebounding champion revs his engine to life, wrestling with a pair of Heat players for offensive rebound positioning. Unwavering in his approach after the ball careens towards the out-of-bounds line, Rodman pursues with reckless abandon, diving head-first for a possession-saving rebound that ultimately goes rewarded with a score. Rodman’s reentry and subsequent hustle coincided with the Bulls’ late, game-clinching run, propelling them to a perfect 7-0 in Christmas games over the 1990s. With as seismic an impact as one can have with only four shot attempts, Rodman recorded an efficient eight-point, 13-rebound showing, helping Chicago survive the absence of their All-Star forward for a nationally-televised win on December 25, 1997.

Championship Year