NOSEBLEED SPORTS MEDIA
MJ Mondays
NO DEBATE. JUST RECEIPTS.
VOL. 1, NO. 27 · AUGUST 31, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
BEST SCORER + BEST REBOUNDER + BEST ALL-AROUND FORWARD = 72 WINS.
Dennis Rodman Rebounding — 1995-96 Bulls
RODMAN RPG JORDAN PPG PIPPEN APG
The 1995-96 Bulls went 72-10 because they had three players who each led the NBA in a different
statistical category: Jordan in scoring (30.4 PPG), Rodman in rebounding (14.9 RPG), and Pippen in All-
NBA versatility. Rodman was the missing piece that turned a championship-caliber team into the greatest
regular season team in history. His rebounding, defense, and maniacal energy filled the gap Horace
Grant's departure had created. Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman together had the highest two-way ceiling of
any trio in NBA history.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers 1996-01-13
10 2 18/28 W
POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS FG RESULT
48 In Philly.
THE 72-WIN MACHINE IN FULL OPERATION
January 13, 1996. The 72-win machine was rolling. Jordan scored 48 points at Philadelphia. Rodman grabbed
his usual 15+ rebounds. Pippen filled every gap. The 1995-96 Bulls were the most efficient basketball
machine ever assembled — not because of any single player, but because each player's elite skill
complemented the others perfectly.
MJ VS TODAY 03
Was Rodman The Most Important Non-Star Acquisition In NBA
History?
RODMAN TO BULLS (1995) OTHER KEY ACQUISITIONS
RESULT ROBERT HORRY TO LAKERS
72-10 immediately 3 rings
RPG VS ANDRE IGUODALA TO WARRIORS
14.9 — led NBA Finals MVP
RINGS RAY ALLEN TO HEAT
3 with Bulls The Shot in Game 6
Rodman transformed the Bulls from a championship team into the greatest team in history. The leap from the
1994-95 Bulls (47-35 without Jordan for most of the year) to the 1995-96 Bulls (72-10) was partly Jordan's full
return and partly Rodman's arrival. Without Rodman's rebounding, energy, and defensive versatility, 72 wins
doesn't happen.
Most important non-star acquisition in NBA history?
RODMAN TO BULLS IGUODALA TO WARRIORS RAY ALLEN TO HEAT ROBERT HORRY TO LAKERS
THE COLDEST MJ MOMENT 04
THE WORM
He Dyed His Hair A Different Color Every Week.
He Also Grabbed 20 Rebounds Every Night.
Dennis Rodman was the most unusual player in NBA history — wedding dresses, hair dye,
piercings, suspensions, trips to Vegas during the season. The spectacle obscured the
truth: he was one of the greatest rebounders and defenders who ever lived. His ability to
read the angle of a missed shot was preternatural. Jordan tolerated Rodman's chaos
because Rodman's production was irreplaceable. The Bulls needed someone willing to do
the work Jordan and Pippen didn't want to do. Rodman did it at an all-time level while
being the most chaotic personality in the league.
I'll get the rebounds. You score. That's the deal.
— DENNIS RODMAN TO MICHAEL JORDAN, REPORTEDLY THEIR FIRST CONVERSATION
THE MJ STAT VAULT 05
RODMAN RPG — 1995-96 BULLS RECORD WITH JORDAN + RODMAN +
Led the NBA in rebounding for the 5th PIPPEN
straight year. He was the best rebounder The trio played together 3 seasons (1995-
in the league while playing next to the 98). Won 3 championships. Combined
best scorer. regular season record: ~200-44.
CONSECUTIVE REBOUNDING TITLES — CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS — DENNIS
RODMAN RODMAN CAREER
1992-1998. Seven straight years leading 2 with Detroit, 3 with Chicago. He won
the NBA in rebounds. The most dominant championships in three different decades
rebounding stretch since Wilt. (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998).
48 JORDAN POINTS VS PHILADELPHIA — JAN 13, 1996
The 72-win Bulls in full form. Jordan scoring 48. Rodman grabbing boards. The machine operating at peak.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Alonzo Mourning
CHARLOTTE HORNETS / MIAMI HEAT · 1992–2008
21.2 PPG · 10.4 BPG IN PRIME YEARS · 1X CHAMPION
The Most Intimidating Center Of The 1990s Outside Of Shaq
Alonzo Mourning averaged 21.2 points and blocked 3+ shots per game at his peak. He was the Eastern
Conference's most dominant interior presence in the late 1990s alongside Shaquille O'Neal. He also survived
kidney disease, missed two full seasons, and won a championship in 2006 at 36. His competitive fire was
matched only by his defensive impact. He exists almost entirely outside of any Jordan-era conversation
despite being one of its definitive players.
The Jordan Connection: Mourning's Miami Heat were the Eastern Conference team that most consistently
challenged the late-Jordan-era Bulls after the first three-peat. Pat Riley built Heat teams specifically to
physically match up with Chicago. Mourning was the defensive centerpiece.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
MJ MONDAYS The Jordan Era · 1984–2003
Every Monday. No exceptions.