The Detroit Pistons didn't become the Bad Boys by being polite about basketball. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, playing Detroit meant dealing with a team that wanted to make every possession uncomfortable. The physical defense was part of the identity, and the Pistons weren't exactly interested in backing down when an opponent tried to match their intensity.
That attitude became even more obvious during the 1990 NBA Finals, when Detroit faced the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland had a reputation of its own, especially on the boards. The Blazers finished the regular season as the NBA's best rebounding team, averaging 47.6 rebounds per game.
Dennis Rodman wasn't particularly impressed.
Rodman Didn't Buy Portland's Rebounding Numbers
On paper, Portland had every reason to feel confident about its work on the glass. The Blazers averaged 47.6 rebounds per game during the 1989-90 regular season, while Detroit averaged 44.4.
Rodman led the Pistons with 9.7 rebounds per game, narrowly ahead of Bill Laimbeer at 9.6. Those numbers suggested Portland had a legitimate advantage heading into the Finals.
Then the series actually started.
In Game 1, Detroit dominated the rebounding battle, pulling down 54 boards compared with Portland's 46. The difference was especially noticeable on the offensive glass, where the Pistons held a 19-8 advantage.
Detroit turned those extra possessions into a 105-99 victory.
For Rodman, though, there was a bigger point to make.
The Worm Took a Shot at the Western Conference
Rodman believed Portland's impressive rebounding numbers had to be viewed through the context of the Western Conference.
His argument was essentially that the East demanded a different level of physical play. He pointed to teams such as Philadelphia and Atlanta as examples of opponents that were willing to make every possession a battle.
Rodman suggested that the looser, faster style he associated with the West created more opportunities for players like himself to collect rebounds.
It was classic Rodman. He wasn't simply talking about basketball strategy. He was also trying to get inside Portland's head.
And there was at least some statistical evidence behind one part of his argument.
The Best Rebounders Weren't All in the East
The NBA's top individual rebounders during the 1989-90 season included some enormous names from both conferences.
Hakeem Olajuwon led the league with 14.0 rebounds per game. David Robinson finished second at 12.0, while Karl Malone ranked fourth with 11.1. All three played in the Western Conference.
The Eastern Conference had Charles Barkley at 11.5 rebounds per game and Patrick Ewing at 10.9.
So while Rodman's broader claim about conference physicality was an opinion, the rebounding leaderboard did give him something to point toward.
Of course, the Finals provided the more important test.
Detroit Controlled the Glass When It Mattered
The Pistons didn't seem particularly concerned about Portland's regular-season rebounding numbers once the championship series got underway.
Detroit ultimately won the Finals in five games, and Portland never had a player average at least 10 rebounds per game during the series.
Laimbeer, meanwhile, finished the series averaging 13.4 rebounds per game.
That was a pretty effective response to Portland's reputation as the league's best rebounding team.
But the mental battle between the two teams wasn't limited to Rodman.
Bill Laimbeer Was Playing His Own Game
Laimbeer had his own way of getting under an opponent's skin.
Portland big man Kevin Duckworth had a strong opening game, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds. Rather than simply acknowledge the performance, Laimbeer took a shot at Duckworth's size, joking about needing to take a different route around him in the post.
Duckworth wasn't exactly going to let that one slide.
He fired back by pointing out that Laimbeer wasn't exactly known for being quick himself, adding that things might work out better if Laimbeer stopped holding him.
That exchange perfectly captured the personality of the series. The Pistons weren't just trying to win possessions. They were constantly creating little battles within the larger game.
Laimbeer Found Another Way to Hurt Portland
Interestingly, Laimbeer's biggest impact against Portland didn't always come from battling the Blazers' big men underneath the basket.
He could pull them away from the paint.
Laimbeer was already becoming one of the era's most dangerous shooting big men, and he showed exactly why during the Finals. He knocked down six three-pointers in Game 2 and added two more in Game 4.
For a center of his era, that was a significant weapon.
Portland could try to deal with Detroit's physicality inside, but Laimbeer's shooting created another problem. If the Blazers' big men followed him outside, they opened space elsewhere. If they stayed near the paint, Laimbeer had room to shoot.
The Bad Boys Had More Than One Way to Win
That's ultimately what made the 1990 Pistons so difficult to deal with. They could win the physical battles, dominate the glass, defend aggressively, and still punish opponents with players who could stretch the floor.
Rodman used Portland's rebounding statistics as motivation and psychological ammunition. Laimbeer used his toughness and shooting ability to create problems of his own.
By the end of the series, Detroit had won four games and Portland had won just one.
The Blazers entered the Finals with the league's best regular-season rebounding numbers. The Pistons left with the championship.
For Dennis Rodman and his teammates, that was probably the only statistic that ultimately mattered.Â
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