I can only imagine the tremendous pressure felt by professional athletes to perform. This holds especially true for those in the national Basketball Association where much of the money is not guaranteed.
The stories of athletes partaking in drugs and alcohol during their careers are many. This holds true despite the fact they have incredibly short careers and jeopardize not only their careers, but their lives by indulging in these toxins.
Last week the NBA inducted its most recent class to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Members of the Class of 2011 include two alcoholics. Can you name them?
The Worm
The first is one of, if not the most colorful personalities to grace the hardwoods of the NBA. His nickname was “The Worm”. Better known as Dennis Rodman, the Worm won an amazing five championship rings as a member of the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. Those Championship Rings match the metal in Rodman’s face as he has lip, tongue and nose!
In addition to basketball, Rodman is a known hard drinker and was even featured on the VH1 show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew.” The legendary Dr Drew cures a lot of people, but Rodman has gone right on with his heavy drinking since leaving the show.
I say he needs an alcohol awareness class, but Rodman is obviously on a self-destructive path and does not care about his health.