Today in Sports History: April 19

In 1992, Dennis Rodman of the Detroit Pistons won his first NBA rebounding title with 1,530 rebounds for an 18.7 rpg average which was the highest since Wilt Chamberlain’s 1,572 rebounds (a 19.2 rpg average) during the 1971-72 season. Rodman’s impressive rebounds were 42.1 percent of the Pistons’ total, which is the top individual percentage in NBA history. He went on to lead the league in rebounds for seven consecutive seasons. Rodman earned the nickname “The Worm,” for his defensive skills and rebounding abilities. Rodman started his career as a small forward and transitioned to a power forward position. He won NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice and made the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times. Rodman played in 911 games in 14 seasons, scored 6,683 points, and grabbed 11,954 rebounds. He was known for his antics on and off the court. After his NBA career, Rodman entered the world of professional wrestling and was the first winner of Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling tournament.