It would be inaccurate to draw comparisons between him and Wilt and me. Bill Russell was never fond of Wilt Chamberlain and Dennis Rodman being compared to each other.
These days, it’s rare to find an NBA player that is frequently compared to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. After all, the NBA’s first rivalry was between Russell and Chamberlain, a fact that only a small percentage of basketball fans today can recall. In the 1960s, both centers elevated the game to new heights and were the faces of the league. Therefore, these two centers frequently bring up the physical prowess and dominance of big men in their respective eras while discussing them.
Russell is not amenable to comparisons.
When concepts like “dominance inside the paint” and “physicality” were discussed in 1996, Dennis Rodman’s name would come up. After all, Rodman is among the league’s finest rebounders, and in 1996, he averaged 14.9 rebounds and 5.5 points per game while playing for the Chicago Bulls. Rodman’s force in the paint at that point was compared to what Russell did in his day.
However, Russell promptly shot down the comparison to Rodman when asked about it in the same year. Russell was an 11-time champion. The Boston Celtics icon even hinted that Rodman wasn’t even deserving of a discussion with Wilt Chamberlain and him.