Dennis Rodman, once one of the NBA’s most polarizing and celebrated stars, has a reported net worth of $500,000 in 2025.
Despite earning over $27 million during his 14-year basketball career, a figure worth more than $54 million adjusted for inflation, Rodman’s fortune has dwindled over time due to financial mismanagement, legal issues, and an infamously lavish lifestyle.
Rodman made his name as a relentless rebounder and defensive force, winning five NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. Nicknamed “The Worm,” he won the league’s rebounding title seven consecutive seasons and took home two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.
His most lucrative season came in 1996–97 with the Chicago Bulls, when he earned $9 million, a massive figure for a non-scoring specialist at the time. His total career earnings from NBA contracts were estimated at $26.2 million.
However, Rodman’s post-retirement years tell a cautionary tale. In 2016, his financial advisor Peggy Ann Fulford was convicted of stealing over $1.2 million from Rodman, exacerbating his money problems. Combined with tax issues, high legal fees, and extravagant spending habits, Rodman’s once-substantial wealth shrank rapidly.
Rodman also sought visibility outside basketball, embracing reality TV and pop culture infamy. He appeared on shows like The Surreal Life, Celebrity Big Brother, and Celebrity Apprentice, where his off-court antics often overshadowed his Hall of Fame career.
One of his most bizarre moments came in 1996, when he “married himself” in a wedding dress during the release of his autobiography Bad As I Wanna Be. The book became a bestseller, and the stunt solidified Rodman as a master of controversy and self-promotion.
More recently, Rodman has made headlines for his self-styled diplomatic efforts in North Korea, where he’s met with Kim Jong-un multiple times. Though largely symbolic, his role brought renewed media attention in the 2010s and early 2020s.
Rodman’s son, Dennis “DJ” Rodman Jr., is now making his own name in college basketball. As of this season, he plays for the University of Southern California (USC), where he’s averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Despite financial setbacks in his net worth, Dennis Rodman’s legacy remains intact. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, and his influence on the defensive side of the game remains unmatched. His record of 34 rebounds in a single game (March 4, 1992, vs. the Indiana Pacers) still stands as one of the most dominant performances in league history.
Today, Rodman continues to make appearances and remains a fixture in basketball culture. His life story, both triumphant and tragic, is a reminder that fame and fortune can be fleeting without long-term planning.
