Rodmania hits Brighton

By Rob Dugdale

Rodman received a rapturous welcome when he came onto court

It was an evening that answered those people who ask "Is there any basketball in Britain?"

Well yes, there is, and, for one night at least, we had multi-tattooed, multi-pierced former NBA rebound-machine Dennis Rodman playing in our league for the Brighton Bears.

Tickets were gold dust. Bears coach Nick Nurse reckoned they could have sold 10,000 tickets for Rodman's debut against Guildford on Saturday.

They squeezed 1,800 fans, reporters, photographers and cameramen into the Burgess Hill Triangle.

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For an attention-starved league like the BBL, the £22,000 the Bears are believed to have paid for the Celebrity Big Brother star's appearance looked like money well spent.

The game was due to start at 2000 GMT, but Rodman arrived a little late and only headed to the locker room at 1945. You never know quite what to expect with Rodders.

Just before the end of the first quarter we got a flash of classic Rodman

The 44-year-old appeared on court to loud cheers and flashing cameras at 2013 and began stretching.

When the game started - half an hour late and with Rodman on the Brighton bench - Guildford leapt into the lead.

Once he came into the game, the Chicago Bulls legend looked a little rusty, especially in his shooting. He later put that down to three weeks in the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Some fans were expecting a former NBA player to dominate and nail a huge haul of points. But Rodman, who bagged just four points during 26 minutes on court, has never been a big scorer. His game is defence - and a blocked shot in the third quarter proved that.

Just before the end of the first quarter there was a flash of classic Rodman.

With the ball bouncing towards the Bears' end line, he dived, horizontal in mid-air, to try to save the ball from going out of bounds.

The 6ft 7in man-mountain nearly took out a row of seating and three photographers in the process.

But Brighton were certainly better with him on the floor. While he was sitting down autographing basketballs in the second quarter, the Heat hit a 10-0 run and their fourth-quarter revival also came with Rodman on the bench.

Rodman showed glimpses of his NBA form against Guildford

The only time they left him unguarded close to the basket, it cost them two points.

He managed to concoct some drama for the end of the game, too.

With Brighton leading 91-88, the Heat's Dean Williams attempted a three-pointer to tie the game. It missed, Rodman grabbed the rebound - his seventh of the night - and was fouled.

Six seconds to go and Rodman had two free throws to seal the game for the Bears. He missed both, but Guildford were unable to strike back.

At the news conference, everyone seemed to have a cigar except big Dennis. Offered a small, almost puny, one - the slimmest panatela in a roomful of gran coronas - he lit it and then looked at it. "Hope this don't blow up," he dead-panned.

After a short chat about the game, Big Brother and his family, he claimed that he could get back into the NBA.

"If I worked out for a month I could get back in condition and I could play," he said, as he puffed on the cigar.

And he hinted afterwards that he might be back to play in Britain.

He likes the Bears and likes visiting London, especially the Stringfellows club. Maybe they should sponsor his next appearance for the Bears.