Dennis Rodman Battles Bill Laimbeer in First Return to Detroit (Rodman Ejected)

November 19, 1993 - After seven years of teaming up for multiple championships, a pile of all-star appearances, and countless WWE-style defensive efforts, Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer found themselves on opposite sides for the first and only time of their respective NBA careers. The fireworks kicked off less than a minute into the game, with the newly blonde Dennis Rodman drawing a technical foul following the first basket of the night. Laimbeer and Rodman would continue to grapple throughout the evening, culminating in Rodman's ejection with less than three minutes remaining in a 95-86 Spurs loss. Laimbeer was facing his own bit of controversy at the time. Just three days prior, teammate Isiah Thomas had broken his hand punching Laimbeer in practice. This event came just weeks after Thomas had also broken a rib while absorbing a Laimbeer elbow. Despite a productive stretch of basketball immediately following the fracas (a three-game period in which he averaged 20.3 points and 6.7 rebounds at age 36), Laimbeer remained sensitive to his reputation within his adopted hometown. Citing a loss of desire at the time, Laimbeer announced his retirement just nine days following his matchup with Dennis Rodman. Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/... Laimbeer's retirement: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...