Dennis Rodman faced some of the best players in NBA history, but if he’s concerned, there are only three players who challenged and brought out the best in him: James Worthy, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone.

The Worm’s toughest foes
These were the three names he brought up in an interview with Hoops Hype. He offered no explanation. And frankly, he didn’t have to. Worthy, Barkley, and Malone are all Hall of Fame legends and some of the best offensive players in basketball history.

Rodman faced Worthy when he was in Detroit, while the latter was with the Lakers. Worthy was a shift player for a guy his size. His offensive game came from the post, and he was also the recipient of many fastbreak dishes from Magic Johnson. Big Game James always took it strong every time, which made him a tough cover.

In a way, Rodman had similarities with Barkley.

Both of them were undersized power forwards and had a knack for rebounding the ball. Barkley, who stands just 6’6, averaged 11.7 rebounds in his career, as he was a more polished version of James Worthy in the sense that he had a smooth perimeter stroke.

The Mail Man
While Rodman didn’t explain it, perhaps his toughest cover was the Mail Man himself, Karl Malone. He matched Malone in two NBA Finals, and the two legends had some rough encounters during the games.

During their duels with the Jazz, Chicago Bulls' legendary head coach Phil Jackson actually utilized Rodman and Luc Longley to cover Malone. Rodman was quick but too thin and weak to defend Malone the entire game. Meanwhile, Longley was strong enough to withstand the blows from the Mail Man. And so Jackson alternated the two to give Malone different looks and try to disrupt his rhythm.

Rodman is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and the fact that he wasn’t even a reliable scorer speaks volumes about his impact on the floor. Given his stature, the players whom he showers with praise, even when he just mentions their names, should also be held in high regard.