The Chicago Bulls are currently navigating the 2025 NBA season. When looking back at the dynasty that put six banners in the rafters, the difference between the 90s era and today is striking. A key factor in that historic success wasn’t just Michael Jordan, but the coaching philosophy that unlocked a unique talent like Dennis Rodman.
NBA legend John Salley, who continues his media career, recently revisited a classic story about his late-90s Bulls days. His point about Phil Jackson’s management style is more relevant than ever in the strict, data-driven league of 2025.
The Power of Phil Jackson’s “Flow”
Salley was the rare player who saw Rodman in both his early, more reserved Detroit days and his fully-realized “The Worm” persona in Chicago. Salley asserts that by the time Rodman arrived on the Bulls, he was operating in his own universe.
“In Chicago, while Phil [Jackson] was talking, he would take a shower and go get dressed. Phil wouldn’t say anything. He would just let him flow. With anybody else, it would be like: ‘you get in here with everybody else.’ But Phil knew that he was in his world and when he is in his world he turns out to be this unbelievable thing.”
Salley explained that Jackson granted this freedom because Rodman had realized his true, unique value:
“It was like he had eaten an apple that made him see what life was like… he had come into his own and realized that no one can do what he can do. Nobody was as strong, nobody was built like him, nobody was as determined,” Salley stated.
Unlocking the Modern ‘Worm’
Salley’s story is powerful because it highlights a crucial element of the Bulls’ success: trust over control.
In 2025, with hyper-detailed tracking data and every minute of a player’s life scrutinized by cameras and social media, the idea of a coach letting a player “flow” to the point of showering during a team talk is completely unheard of. Today’s coaches are under intense pressure to maintain rigid control.
The current Bulls, like many NBA teams, search for the right culture to maximize their roster. Salley’s observation suggests that the answer might not be a trade acquisition, but a cultural shift toward allowing an unconventional talent to maximize their skill set—even if it means risking bad headlines.
Jackson’s success wasn’t just in knowing when to let Rodman stray; it was in his ability to push the boundaries of team dynamics entirely. Salley has recently recounted another of Jackson’s wild management tactics—his use of psychological warfare—which proves the lengths Jackson would go to for winning.The Jackson-Rodman relationship proved that taking a cultural risk on an eccentric genius can pay off with championships. For the Bulls organization, the greatest dynasty lesson they can learn from Salley is that sometimes, to capture the unbelievable thing, you have to let the player walk to the shower.
