Rodman's success is no fluke
? -T*rr itibttw
: .w**
Dennis Rodman's consistent work habits enable him to play at full throttle for every minute he's on the court.
Associated Press LaserPhoto
By HARRY ATKINS
AP Sports Writer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -It's
no accident that Dennis Rodman
leads the NBA in rebounds.
Consider his routine for each of
the Detroit Pistons' home games:
? Before shoot-around, Rodman
does 30 minutes of aerobics while
watching a videotape of that
night's opponent.
? After shoot-around, it's anoth
er 30 minutes of aerobics, then
home for a short rest. When he
returns to The Palace, he takes
shooting practice.
? When the game is over, Rod
man ? who has been averaging
39.7 minutes per game ? spends
at least 30 minutes peddling a sta
tionary bike. ; ~ 7
"You can't ask for more than
that," said teammate John Salley,
who calls Rodman "a 30-year-old
man in an 18-year-old body."
"He should be the highest-paid
player on this team. Man, I wish I
were his agent"
The work has certainly paid off
for the Pistons. Rodman is aver
aging a career-best 18.1 rebounds
per game and is on a pace to shat
ter Bob Lanier's team record of
14.9 rebounds a game.
Nobody in the NBA has aver
aged more than 16 rebounds over
a season since Moses M alone at
17.6 in 1979.
Rodman's 32 rebounds against
Charlotte was one short of the
team record set by Lanier. The
fewest rebounds Rodman has had
this season was five, in the opener
against Milwaukee.
He has led the team in rebound
ing in every game since.
"It's a work ethic," Pistons
coach Chuck Daly said. "Every
coach in the world has tried to get
guys to do it. It's the hardest thing
in the game to do. There's less
carryover from practice to games
in rebounding, in getting guys to
box out. It's only when a guy
makes up his mind, like Dennis
did this year, that it happens.
Many guys are capable of it,
physically. We've got five or six.
But not many do it."
Rodman is one of the few play
ers to make the NBA All-Star
teaiti for defense alone/ Heaven
knows, he doesn't score much.
Rodman is averaging only 9.7
points per game. His high was 20,
accomplished twice.
He has never scored more than
34 points in a game, modest by
NBA standards. Yet, he's having a
season worthy of MVP considera
tion.
"It's a message to the entire bas
ketball world," Daly said. "It
tells kids that can't shoot that
there are other parts of the game
that are very important, and you
can be very successful, other than
scoring. Unfortunately, the game
is based on stats, scoring, things
of that nature. But here's a guy
who does it with hard work. And
he gives a whole new area for
people to get involved with in
basketball."
Rodman's feats are all the more
. remarkable when you consider
that he stands just 6-foot -8. There
are point guards that tall these
days. But he plays with a determi
nation few can match.
"I want the ball/' Rodman
explained simply. NNI know that's
the way to go, because I know at
the offensive end, I'm not going
to get it and shoot it. So I just
focus myself to get the ball any -
way I can, either on offense or
defense. Anything I can do to get
the ball off the rim, I'm going to
get it. I will not be denied."
Imagine if Rodman averaged 20
points a game, and still played
defense Abe way to dpesu He
migm iorcetne ndji to mvctu i
whole new grading system.
But it won't happen.
"The thing that makes Dennis so
good is he's very simplistic,"
Isiah Thomas said. "He rebounds
and he plays defense. He does the
things that he can do. He stays
away from the things that he can't
do. The things that he can do, he
practices them all the time. There
fore, he becomes better and better
at the things that he can do. The
things that he can't do, he doesn't
waste his time practicing on
them."
Thomas is part of the reason
Rodman became what he is today.
He told Rodman early on that he
could help the club most by play
ing defense.
"When he walked into camp, he.
was the third- or fourth-best play
er on our team at the time, as a
rookie,** Thomas recalled. "I
thought, 'How could so many
people miss? How could he get to
the second round?"*
Pistons general manager Jack
McCloskey answered that.
Fresh out of Southeastern Okla
homa State in 1986, Rodman
impressed many pro scouts at a
summer rookie camp. But in two
other camps, in Chicago and
Hawiii, he played poorly and his
stock dropped.
"I sent our trainer, Mike Abde
nour, to check Dennis out,**
McCloskey recalled. "It turned
out he was suffering from asth
ma.** ? ;
So the Pistons took a chance. ?
Howard's men keep first place lead; SC
State, UMES women tied for top spot
By Chronicle Staff
MEN - Howard University
blasted visiting Bethune-Cook
man 101-65 last Thursday to
maintain its hold on first place
in the conference standings.
Julius McNeil sparked the Bison
effort by scoring 20 points to
lead five HU players who scored
in double figures.
Delaware State earned a 73
57 win over Maryland-Eastern
Shore to remain in second place.
DSC's Tryone Boger scorched
UMES with 23 points and nine
rebounds. But the Hornets are
now tied for the No. 2 spot with
Florida A&M, who slithered
past Coppin State, 78-76 last
weekend. Power forward DeLon
Turner was the catalyst for
FAMU with 26 points and 14
rebounds.
North Carolina A&T fell
to fourth place after they suf
fered a 75-65 road loss at the
hands of South Carolina State.
Jackie Robinson paced the Bull
dogs attack with 22 points and
seven rebounds.
FAMU's win over Coppin
knocked the Eagles down a few
notches. At this point, they are
fifth after being tied for third
Please see Page B4
WEST@N TRAVEL
OF THE WEEK
Weston Travel is pleased to recognize
Charles Bennett as our Ram of the Week.
Bennett has been a consistent bright spot for
the Rams. His performance this past week,
including 76 points in 3 games, earned him
CIAA Player of the Week honors.
The 6'8" Sports Management senior ranks
8th in the CIAA in scoring (19.6) ppg) and
ranks 6th in the CIAA in rebounding (9.4 rpg).
Versus J.C. Smith, Bennett scored 23
points, shooting 60% from the field, including 4
of 4 from 3-point range. He also collected 8
rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
Weston Travel salutes Charles Bennett for
his commitment to excellence both on and off
the court at Winston-Salem State University.
#44 Charles Bennett
Next Game.
February 15 vs Shaw University C. E. Gaines Complex,*,
Women 6:00 Men 7:30
WESTON TRAVEL
122- A Rsynolda Village Wlmtorv-Satefn NC 27106
(919) 721-9000
FAX (#19) 741-4877
FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS
and the
Winston-Salem Chronicle
WANT TO SEND YOU ON
THE 1992 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS WORD HUNT
FIND THESE WORDS & REGISTER TO WIN TICKETS!
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS MAGICIANS BASKETBALL BERNARD
BROWN DOUGLAS HOBLEY LAW MCCALL
POLK SANDERS SINCLAIR WORLD TOUR
M
R
T
C
B K
H G
J
Z
N
L
X
L
P
L
L
A
B
T
E
K
S
A
B
P
Y
B
S
I
B
T
Z
D
D
L
R
O
W
X
K
B
C
G
H B
V J
S
C
X
B
F
T
C
Q
X
B
S
Q
V
T
Z
D
S
D
K
A
G
U
L
0
C
1
P
s
E
A
T
B
S
B
U
I
Y
Q
T
Z
c
V
M
R
L
D
C
0
S
1
J
z
w
o
D
X
s
H W
W D
I
A
E
T
K
R
L
P
S
S
S
V
A
J
Y
P
U
E
O
S
E
O
M
C
L
C
J
G
N
G
I
H
R
Y
L
Z
M
U
W
w
B
X
c
R
X
z
p
N
N
L
V
P
R
A
U
K
D
E
B
A
C
Y
K
Z
Y
L
Q
G
X
K
X
P
Q
I
R
O
P
F
D
W
Z
H
xv
S
N
S
T
Y
X
0
J
G
S
Z
W R
A C
L
N
N
I
D
D
A
H
I
R
R
C
E
T
V
A
N K
T A
H N
D Z
B W
A S
U B
H R
R
X
U
c
I
c
R
H
S
I
A
L
C
N
I
S
I
T
W
E
C
H
H
I
O
s
M
T
T
Q
U
F
H W
J V
X D
N-A
Z
Q
C
0
M
N
N
E
C
L
R
1
W
D
R
E
G
T
P
I
M
V
L
E
X
M
E
B
C
0
P
S
N
G
M
1
ve n
C K C
L Z
R X
U K
Q H
R
N
I
E
R
F
P
F
G
I
P
D
F
K
C
E
O
P
U
J
P
S
u
s
c
p
L
s
p
V
s
Q
I
L
H
K
M
U
E
H
B
O
U
H J
V X
W F
K W U
Z I T
F
T
S
A
V
F
P
W
X
t
M
H
I
P
A
G
B
T
E
D
M
K
vi
T
R
Q
M
X
N
K
0
X
D
T
1
V
H
W
W
O
C
P
K
P
P
J
Z
U
T
T
L
A
Y
O
i
K
G
O
P
X
H
R
G
C
L
V
O
E
G
G
L
H M
S A
M <3
?i
L
R
A
C
I
A
H N
M S
N
W
O
M
Q
s
u
R
A
O
E
C
F
R
J
Q
S
M
O
V
M
P
X
z
N
E
V
u
B
A
T
C
N
O
K
O
z
L
Y
Y
X
s o
K X
S D
W M
F U
D
R
B H
W
S
D
L
A
Q
w
o
X
X
c
T
Y
K
G
Q
S
G
K
S
U N
I A
B
G
X
R
S
L
J
R
X
J
B
J
V K
& K
G S
G S
D C
W B
N Y
D D
R I
D Z
W H
T J
N
Q
C
M
F
A
E
Y
K W
L
J
R
R
G
M
R
H
L
H
Q
E
U
E
K
O
B
L
E
Y
X
X
N
V
W
Z
W
X
H
J
H
P
S
P
0
Q
1
I
G
W
O
U
P
T
C
L
S
E
P
Z
N
F
A
D
U M
S A
E
M
Y
I
E
O
J
s
X 5>
N M
O J
N
F
H
L
K
W
A
I
T
D
L
B
K
U
T
T
P
F
P
L
M
B
U
J
E
R
I
A
Saturday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.
LJVAIMNJSHHAI
Winston-Mam
all Mats r?Mrv?d ? *.00/*10.00/*11.00
(VIP seats available ? . No discounts apply)
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
_ (BEST TIME TO CALL)
hi mm
1*4 #. 1 M It
r. #.->?*? It..
! Playful moods. The two of you.
And Imported Canadian Mist. Mixed, straight or
on the rodb. Irs smexxk \\v}n rastc is
1 , V * ateavson its best behavior. ?
>*?< ?<? ' ' "
?nd B^no-1 by 8w? Ppmw Bovotag* Co C^v^ftan WfwJw* a fSonrt ?K Ah, ny v.*,?, Louawir ky
|