NBA: Dennis Rodman’s dad, Philander, dies in Pampanga

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/life/07/16/20200716-philander-rodman-jr-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>Philander Rodman, the estranged father of reigning NBA champions Chicago Bulls&#x27; star Dennis Rodman, strikes a pose in front of his bar in Angeles city, on June 15, after the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz for their sixth NBA championship. Philander, a retired US serviceman, left his wife, Dennis and daughters for another woman in 1965. Dennis Rodman has refused to reconcile with his father but Philander says it will just be a matter of time when father and son will settle their differences. The bar is adorned with pictures of his famous son. <em>AFP/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>(UPDATE)</strong> Philander Rodman Jr., the estranged father of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, passed away on Tuesday in Mabalacat city, Pampanga, his Filipino family based there confirmed.</p><p>Jasmine Rodman said his grandfather died due to prostate cancer. He was 79.</p><p>Jasmine posted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=jasmine%20rodman&amp;epa=SEARCH_BOX">Facebook message</a> reaching out to Dennis, informing the former Chicago Bulls star forward of Philander&#x27;s death.</p><p>Philander&#x27;s daughter, Darling Marie, created a Twitter account for his father.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/kzmQdK5i93">pic.twitter.com/kzmQdK5i93</a></div>— iamJ (@iamJ1993) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamJ1993/status/1283720641460318208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2020</a></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script><br/> <br/>&quot;Made this twitter acct for a reason. Dennis Rodman I hope you get to read my msg to you about your #1 fan, your father,&quot; the account&#x27;s description indicated.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/PftBhPCesr">pic.twitter.com/PftBhPCesr</a></div>— iamJ (@iamJ1993) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamJ1993/status/1283763157844934656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2020</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Philander was an Air Force enlisted member, who fought in the Vietnam War.</p><p>He left Dennis&#x27; mother in 1965, eventually settling in the Philippines, a move that Dennis took hard and led to his family&#x27;s struggles.</p><p>In his 1996 book &quot;Bad As I Wanna Be&quot;, Dennis wrote about his disdain toward Philander.</p><p>An <a href="https://apnews.com/e5d8f39dc889cbc02a8382002c5168d0">Associated Press</a> article in September 1996 said Philander hadn’t seen his son for 26 years at that point.</p><p>Referring to an interview three months earlier, Philander had nothing but glowing words for Dennis.</p><p>“To me, he is not a bad boy,” Philander said. “He is like me, the things he do . . . If he wants to color his hair green, purple or whatever, I mean, I can’t see anything wrong with it. He wants to have a tattoo, that’s his own.”</p><p>“I think a person should do what they want to as long as they do not hurt anybody else,” he added.. “I haven’t seen him hurt anybody else by what he does, so I am all for Dennis.”</p><p>When Dennis traveled for an exhibition game to Manila in May 2006, he turned down Philander&#x27;s attempts for a personal meeting.</p><p>Philander eventually met his sports superstar son when Dennis visited Manila again in July 2012, albeit for a short time.</p><p>He was thankful for the chance to have a quick talk with Dennis after the All-Star Basketball Challenge at Mall of Asia Arena.</p><p>“We met three minutes, I saw him. Busy signing autographs,” Philander said, adding that Dennis promised to keep in touch.</p><p>“He asked me if I have a website where he could talk to me. I said none and just gave him my cellphone number,” added Philander, who nearly wept after Dennis publicly acknowledged him in front of thousands of Filipino basketball fans.</p><p>At the time, Philander said he wished he could spend more time with his son to explain why he had to leave Dennis and his mother.</p><p>“I love my son. I just want to talk to him, about all the wrong things he said about me, talk to him so we can get this fixed,” he said.</p><p>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</p>

<p>Philander Rodman Jr., the estranged father of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, passed away on Tuesday in Mabalacat city.</p>

Philander Rodman Jr., the estranged father of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, passed away on Tuesday in Mabalacat city.

NBA: Dennis Rodman’s dad, Philander, dies in Pampanga | ABS-CBN

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NBA: Dennis Rodman’s dad, Philander, dies in Pampanga

NBA: Dennis Rodman’s dad, Philander, dies in Pampanga

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 16, 2020 11:28 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 17, 2020 12:02 AM PHT

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