DJ Rodman proves to be a perfect fit in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine. - DJ Rodman loves being a Maine Celtic, and the Maine Celtics love having DJ Rodman on their team.

Rodman joined the Celtics via the available player pool on January 3rd and has made an immediate and lasting impact on the team. Rodman has helped Maine win nine of their last 10 games, turning the season around in a positive direction.

"The number one thing is defense," said Maine Celtics Head Coach Tyler Lashbrook on the successful stretch. "Our connectivity on defense and the guys have bought into it and playing really hard. If you give maximum effort all the time, good things will end up happening and I think our guys are doing that."

Rodman may embody that mentality better than anyone on this Celtics team. From the moment he joined the team in Maine, the rookie out of USC has made a habit of making winning plays during crunch time. If the team needs someone to get a key rebound, or draw a charge to force overtime, Rodman is there to make the play. That boundless energy and emotion has quickly made Rodman a team and fan favorite, and the source of that mentality goes back to his childhood days playing basketball. When Rodman was a young kid, he suffered an asthma attack that potentially put his ability to play in jeopardy. Rodman said that he grew out of that issue, but the experience left him a lasting lesson: Make sure you always give 100% effort out on the floor.

"It came from when I was in the third grade and I had my first asthma attack. I had asthma when I was younger and was able to grow out of it," Rodman explained. "All I had to do was play hard, I didn't know what tired was. I don't know when to stop, I don't want to ever stop. I play the best when I play hard. I don't care if I score. I want to get rebounds, get steals, defend their best player, and play basketball."

That will to win has helped Rodman impact the game in ways that stretch beyond the stat sheet as he's become a mainstay in Maine's starting lineup. DJ's father is NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and his sister, Trinity Rodman, is a soccer superstar in the NWSL and for the USWNT, recently helping the United States win gold in Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games. Simply put, winning is in Rodman's DNA.

"He's been tremendous," Lashbrook said. "His ability to impact winning in a bunch of different ways; whether its crashing the boards, his shot making, his willingness to just play the right way and make the right play over and over again. Getting the loose balls, taking charges, guarding the best player, rebounding, he does all that stuff that impacts winning. DJ has had a massive impact on our team."

Maine knew they would get an elite defender and 'glue guy' when Rodman joined the team. He said it's all about your mentality and knowing your role.

"I take a lot of pride in defense, and I don't know what not working hard is. If their best player scores on me, I'm going to be mad. It's all about the will to not let them score," Rodman said. "Play great defense, shoot open shots, and do all the little stuff that I'm here to do." 

But along the way, Maine has also found a key contributor in the offense. In 17 games, Rodman is averaging 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. The rookie is shooting 44.9% from the floor, including 44.9% from beyond the arc.

"He's all about the right things. He plays winning basketball and makes winning plays," Lashbrook said. "When we put him out there, we know he's going to make the right plays. We trust his shot a lot, not just in games, but in practice he shows he can shoot really shoot the ball. I'm not surprised by anything he's doing."

After stints in college at Washington State and USC, Rodman began his professional career in the NBA Summer League with the LA Clippers. His NBA G League debut came with the Capital City Go-Go, where Rodman appeared in six games for Capital City, averaging 2.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13 minutes per game during the Tip-Off Tournament. On December 3rd, Rodman was waived by the Go-Go.

Exactly one month later, he joined the Maine Celtics where his playing time has nearly doubled and he's posted new career-highs in multiple categories. On January 26th, Rodman buried six three-pointers and set a new career-high in scoring with 20 points (He had 12 rebounds in that game, too). On January 19th against Long Island, Rodman snagged a career-best 16 rebounds. Rodman said this is one of the best locker rooms he's' ever been a part of.

"I feel like I fit in great here," he said. "It's all about winning and playing your role and as long as you do that, you'll get what you want at the end of the day. As long as I perfect my role and do the best I can, everyone in that locker room can make it. That's the message they've instilled in us." 

Originally from Southern California, Rodman has quickly settled into life in New England. Rodman's mother and girlfriend have been able to frequently attend his games at the Portland Expo and Rodman said Portland is a perfect fit for him.

"I love it here. I'm a west coast guy from California. I love it here," he said. "I love the east coast. This is perfect for me because I like the city, but I also like a smaller town. It's right in the middle; I love it here. I'm having a tremendous amount of fun."

Rodman and the Maine Celtics return to action on March 4 when they resume their long road trip against the Grand Rapids Gold.