Losing Millions to Fraud, Dennis Rodman Admitted in 2019 He Wished for Draymond Green’s $25 Million

At the peak of Dennis Rodman’s career, he was one of the most popular players in the league. But his status with the media wasn’t due to his basketball talent. It was his antics off the court that often landed him in the spotlight. Rodman played in an era when players didn’t earn lucrative contracts. He looks at players cut from the same cloth as him, like Draymond Green, who commanded $25 million annually in 2019, and wishes he could’ve taken home that paycheck.

Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Rodman sat down with Business Insider for a special interview about the landscape of the NBA. At the time, players were receiving such large sums of money, those of the past couldn’t even fathom the figures.

Throughout Rodman’s 14-year career, he earned just over $27 million. The most money he earned in a single season was $9 million during the 1995-96 season with the Bulls. Compared to modern NBA role players who are similar in value to Rodman, that number is minuscule.

Warriors star Draymond Green has a similar motor and drive as Rodman. Shortly before Rodman’s comments, Green agreed to a four-year extension worth $99.6 million, averaging roughly $25 million each season.

That number stuck out to the five-time NBA champion. Rodman revealed that if he were playing in the league during this generation, that would be the amount of money he would command.

“I said I wish I was like you, Draymond, getting $25 million just to do what you do,” Rodman said. “I probably got like a quarter of what you’ve got, what I was doing.”

Rodman firmly believes his skills deserved a higher pay than he received. He certainly has a case, as he was a critical member of championship-winning teams for the Pistons and Bulls. After all, Michael Jordan and Bulls head coach Phil Jackson tolerated Rodman’s antics because of the value he had on the court.

While Rodman didn’t earn as much money as he feels he should’ve throughout his career, poor decisions also contributed to financial difficulties and led to Rodman losing millions of dollars.

Rodman was a victim of fraud

Rodman may not have earned as much money as he would’ve liked in the NBA, but that didn’t stop him from striving for more post-retirement. The two-time All-Star met a woman by the name of Peggy Ann Fulford. He thought she would be his saving grace, but she turned out to be his worst nightmare.

The Hall-of-Fame forward entrusted roughly $1.86 million to Fulford through a few bank accounts. She convinced him that she was a Wall Street expert and could earn Rodman a lump sum of money. Instead, she ran off with over $2 million from Rodman’s accounts.

Rodman wasn’t the only athlete to fall victim to Fulford’s conniving ways. Former NBA player Travis Best also lost money to Fulford.

In 2019, Rodman filed a fraud lawsuit against Fulford. She eventually pled guilty and received a sentence of 120 months in prison and an order to pay $5.79 million to the victims, which included Rodman.

The former NBA star came out victorious in the legal case but is now significantly more savvy when it comes to the world of finance.