Basketball player and occasional actor Dennis Rodman was born on May 13, 1961 in Trenton, New Jersey. He went through a painful childhood, with his father leaving his family when he was three. He wasn’t initially successful in athletics, partly because of his small stature; only when he experienced a sudden growth spurt did he decide to try basketball again, eventually playing for Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In 1986, he entered the NBA Draft, and was 27th pick overall by the Detroit Pistons.

Despite coming off the bench, Rodman steadily contributed to the Pistons’ rising prominence, eventually leading to two NBA championships. Playing small forward, he also won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1990, for his rebounding and defensive prowess. He moved to the San Antonio Spurs in 1993, now as power forward, and despite numerous clashes and an injury, barely missed the 1995 NBA Finals.

During this time, Rodman started earning a reputation as a “bad boy”, with his dyed hair and many piercings and tattoos, as well as his controversial behavior; apart from many runs-in with the law, he is known for wearing a wedding dress while promoting his autobiography. By 1995, he moved to the Chicago Bulls, playing with legendary Michael Jordan and leading to two championships in 1996 and 1997. He also dabbled in professional wrestling at this time, appearing in several WCW events. An overhaul within the Bulls found Rodman moving to the Los Angeles Lakers, and shortly after to the Dallas Mavericks, before leaving the NBA entirely in 1999.

Rodman remained active, however, continuing his wrestling career and, much later, playing for the American Basketball Association. His hopes of returning to the NBA were dashed, however, and he started playing the sport across the world, from the United Kingdom, to Finland, to the Philippines. His bad boy persona, however, worked for him in a different way. He took on an acting career, perhaps best represented by the film Simon Sez. He later became a regular in reality shows, most recently in the British edition of Celebrity Big Brother , and afterwards, on the second season of The Celebrity Apprentice.