NBA legend Michael Jordan deeply appreciated everything Dennis Rodman brought to the Chicago Bulls as a player.

Jordan and Rodman were teammates on the Bulls from 1995-96 to 1997-98. They won three straight championships together.

“Dennis was one of the smartest guys I played with,” Jordan said in The Last Dance doc. “He understood defensive strategy with all the rotations. He had no limits in terms of what he does. … He was a new character, but I knew Dennis, and I knew what he could do basketball-wise.”

The Bulls acquired Rodman from the San Antonio Spurs in 1995.

Rodman finished his Bulls career with averages of 5.2 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks. He won three straight rebounding titles and helped Chicago three-peat for a second time.

After the Bulls won their fifth championship in 1997 against the Utah Jazz, Jordan was asked by an NBA reporter if he wanted Rodman back and MJ made it clear that Chicago needed to re-sign Rodzilla despite his berserk nature.

“His dresses doesn’t bother me,” Jordan said. “His hair doesn’t bother me. Sure, I mean, he’s gonna go wacko every now and then. We’ve come to live with that. We’ve come to accept that. But you can’t find another player on the basketball court that works just as hard as Dennis Rodman. Gives 110%, dives at loose balls even if he can’t get them. That’s Dennis Rodman. So I don’t have a problem with Dennis, and I don’t think Phil does. I don’t think Scottie does. We’ve been able to control him to some degree, and we’re here for champions back-to-back.”

The Bulls won three rings before acquiring Rodman.

However, Rodman said in “The Last Dance” doc that Chicago wouldn’t have won three more titles without him.

“You got the great Michael Jordan, the great Scottie Pippen, the great Phil Jackson, but if you take me away from this team, do they still win a championship? I don’t think so,” Rodman said. “I love Michael Jordan to death. I love Scottie Pippen, all these guys, but they really don’t do the things that I do. I’m the only guy who does all the dirty work, taking abuse from other players. I wanna go out there and get my nose broke. I wanna get cut. Something that’s gonna really just bring out the hurt, the pain. I wanna feel that.”

Jordan had a 165-34 record with Rodman on the Bulls, who defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals and the Jazz in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals.

Jordan is arguably the best player in NBA history, while Rodman is one of the top rebounders and defenders of all time.