THE FLAKERS? BAD BOY RODMAN SAYS HE'S READY TO PLAY IN L.A.Byline: Greg Gittrich Daily News Staff Writer Scornful of his contract offer and the team's superstar mentality, basketball's bad boy Dennis Rodman declared Monday that he wants to worm his way into a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Lakers uniform. Dressed to the teeth in body-piercing jewelry and topped with a foppish fop·pish adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a fop; dandified. fop  pish·ly adv. hat, Rodman hissed, quipped and cried as he told a crowded news
conference at Planet Hollywood in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. that he's ready to
sign and will be ready to play by Thursday against the Clippers.
``What will make me happy is if I can bring this city a ring just like I did in Chicago,'' he said. ``I'm here just because I want to make people happy. I miss entertaining. I miss entertaining for the people. I play for the people, I give the people what they want.'' Desperate for a championship after 12 inglorious in·glo·ri·ous adj. 1. Ignominious; disgraceful: Napoleon's inglorious end. 2. Not famous; obscure: an inglorious young writer. seasons, the Lakers were mum beyond saying that ``sometime very soon'' Rodman would be signed to a contract. The ``people'' were more outspoken. The predominant lament of sports fans all across town was that the untarnished image and championship tradition of Baylor, West, Kareem and Magic were in jeopardy. ``He's a good act. He belongs on Hollywood or maybe over there on Sunset with the other freak shows and people like him,'' said Trey Smith, sitting in the crowded TGI TGI Tribunal de Grande Instance TGI Target Group Index TGI Thank God It's Friday (US restaurant chain) TGI Tracheal Gas Insufflation TGI Tumor Growth Inhibition TGI Trato Gastrointestinal (Portugese) Friday's in Woodland Hills. But like others, he was open to the possibility Rodman could help the team. ``Look, Rodman's never pretended to be pure of heart or out to help humanity,'' Smith said. ``He's got to be the most self-serving man out there, but the Lakers think he'll help them win.'' Another fan, Clive Lee, 17, of Woodland Hills, added: ``The Lakers need help, especially at the forward position. They need someone to grab rebounds and do the dirty work so he'd be a good addition. Everyone knows how he is off the court, but he's a player on the court.'' Many fans wish Rodman would play it straight as a Laker, shut his mouth, hang up his dresses and help the Lakers win a championship. ``We've got enough pretty `women' wearing dresses in L.A. We need someone who wants to play basketball,'' said 37-year-old Bob O'Donoghue. Sitting alongside O'Donoghue and a few other conservatively-clad business consultants at Yankee Doodle's Sports Bar and Restaurant in Woodland Hills, Steve Johnson Steve Johnson is the name of:
Dan Miner, 30, of Sherman Oaks had a terse message for Rodman: ``Shut up and sign the contract or leave.'' Miner, a Lakers fan his ``entire life'' who sports bleached blond hair that would make Rodman proud, stressed he doesn't have a problem with the five-time NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= champion's tattoos or body piercings - only the contract dilly-dallying. ``This is ridiculous,'' Miner said. ``But the way they're playing now, he can't hurt. He knows how to win.'' Fans also took offense at Rodman's news conference remarks that ``all the guys want to be superstars'' instead of being team players, a pointed reference to Lakers stars Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. and Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). . ``That's a bad thing to say,'' Oscar Lazo said as he cooked for a lunchtime crowd at Weber's Place on Vanowen Street in Reseda. ``With all the experience he has, he should show some guidance and help out Kobe and Shaq,'' the 28-year-old Panorama City resident said. ``I still think he'll help the team if he ever starts playing.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos PHOTO (1 -- color) Dennis Rodman, with his wife, Carmen Electra “Tara Patrick” redirects here. For the porn star, see Tera Patrick. Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra,[1] is an American glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, and actress. , center, and sister, Debra, talks to reporters. Gus Ruelas/Daily News (2 -- color) no caption (Dennis Rodman) |
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