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February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Dennis Rodman is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

'I’m Not Bitter' – Former Chicago Bulls Star Dismisses Jealousy Over Current NBA Contracts

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 2:23 PM ET

Former Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman clarified that he isn’t jealous of the amount of money current NBA players get. During his time, players struggled to make money. Even stars like his former teammate, Scottie Pippen, were underpaid. Pippen earned an annual salary of $2.8 million in the 1997-98 season.

NBA players’ salaries differ greatly from one another, especially when talking about the contrast between various eras. In the early days, players weren’t compensated well. The league found it difficult to pay its players. Now, the contracts that players get are out of this world. For the 2024-25 season, the average salary in the league is $10.28 million.

This has made former players comment about the sudden contract blowups. When his son, who isn’t an All-Star, earns more money than he does, former NBA player Gary Payton remarked that he was born in the wrong era.

“I wish I could just go up and look at the air and say, ‘Hey mom, why you have me so early’,” Payton said.

The question of how much current players make was posed to Rodman, who was a guest on N3on’s live stream. According to him, he isn’t jealous of it because it was never about the money for him.

“Because it wasn’t all about money, it was all about playing, man, you know, it’s the love of the game… a lot of the old players are really bitter, and I’m not bitter, I don’t give a s—t if you make more money than me, I don’t give a damn,” the two-time All-Star said.

The Chicago Bulls forward showed how much he loved playing basketball. Throughout the 1990s, He had one of the best runs as a rebounder. He averaged 15.9 rebounds during that stretch, showing his hustle for the loose ball. Rodman also led the league in rebounding through seven seasons, from 1992 to 1998.

How much did the former Chicago Bulls star earn in his career?

Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls (C) talks to teammates Michael Jordan (L) and Scottie Pippen (L) 10 June during game four of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Rodman hit four foul shots down the stretch to lead the Bulls as they beat the Jazz 86-82 to lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. (JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The former Chicago Bulls star played in the NBA for 14 seasons. In his rookie season with the Detroit Pistons, Rodman earned $75,000. Because of the strong first impression he left in his first season, he started to earn more than $100,000 in his sophomore year.

Overall, he earned $27,031,176 in his career in the league in just his NBA salary. He earned the most with the Bulls, securing $16.1 million in his three-year stay.

Feb 29, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; NBA Hall of Fame member Dennis Rodman greets the crowd during the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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