Hard to believe that Dennis Rodman would have any Seattle connections during his Basketball Hall of Fame weekend, unless you're talking about those epic battles he had with Shawn Kemp and Hersey Hawkins in the 1996 NBA Finals But it does go a little bit further than that with Rodman and Seattle, as he was inspired by the workings of one band that played and mirrored the ethic of his own game. Ben Larsen of MassLive has more on the story.
Dennis Rodman's love affair with Pearl Jam --- and Eddie Vedder, in particular --- has long been documented.
The depth of that love affair, however, may not have been realized until Thursday as Rodman, speaking to the media at the National Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011 press conference, noted how big of an inspiration Vedder has been to him.
"Every time I was at the gym or in the locker room, any time I did anything, I put on Pearl Jam and listened to Eddie Vedder," said Rodman, who'll be enshrined in the Hoophall Friday. "It wasn't so much the band but Eddie, speaking straight through his heart."
Indeed, there are many similarities between the two. Pearl Jam took on Ticketmaster. Dennis Rodman took on hairstyles. Vedder and Rodman have been linked together supporting one another in concerts; Rodman was even featured on a Pearl Jam song.
Two decades later, both are still standing, despite all the news and the hype they've generated. Considering the type of characters Vedder and Rodman were (controversial in their time), their ability to remain relevant a decade-plus after the zenith of their popularity is impressive.