Young Trinity did too, even though she was born two years after The Worm’s 2000 retirement.
“I think, obviously, my dad was pretty good at rebounding,” she said. “I think just always hunting, with rebounding it is hunting in front of goal, hunting when you lose the ball. I think that is a huge part of my game, reading, tracking back and being the first person to get a foot, a head, a knee or a shin on something that pops up.
“Even if he wasn’t the first guy under the basket or he was next to Shaq, who was way bigger, way taller, he was going to get the rebound. It was timing, it was anticipation, it was body movement, it was positioning, it was everything. I think he was so intelligent and people take that away. He was a freak of nature, and an insane athlete, but at the end of the day I think he was one of the smartest players of all-time.”
On the soccer field, Rodman is talented and fearless and pure box office, so much so that her club deal with the Washington Spirit is worth a reported $1.1 million over four years, a whopping sum for the NWSL.
When the captains of the 50 best national teams in the world cast their votes for the Ballon D’Or Femenil, the most prestigious individual honor in the women’s game, Rodman came in at No. 18 last year despite her lack of experience compared to most.
Endorsement deals with Red Bull, Oakley and adidas are in place. Soccer knows all about her. Everyone else is about to find out, because never is the magnifying glass turned to the sport more acutely than at World Cup time, with the USA campaign kicking off against Vietnam on July 21 (9 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
When she talks about her dad there is unmissable pride and occasional humor, like when she was asked if her pre-game preparation had any correlation to party animal Dennis’ infamously wild antics. The answer, given that Trinity’s obsession with her craft is already widely known, is no.
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Source: FOX Sports
