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Home / Sport

Carmen Electra opens up on relationship with NBA star Dennis Rodman

news.com.au
28 Apr, 2020 02:56 AM4 mins to read

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Carmen Electra. Photo / Getty Images.

Carmen Electra. Photo / Getty Images.

When it comes to passion, nothing could match Michael Jordan on the basketball court — except perhaps for Carmen Electra's relationship with his teammate Dennis Rodman.

Electra, the 1990s "It" girl who posed for Playboy and starred in Baywatch, and NBA star Rodman became an American glamour couple after starting up a romance during the 1997/98 season that saw the Chicago Bulls win their sixth championship of the decade.

That campaign is the focus of popular new ESPN and Netflix docu-series The Last Dance, which has brought the pair's relationship back into the spotlight two decades after they split.

Episode four of the series, released today, touches on Rodman's wild mid-season getaway to Las Vegas where he let loose with Electra and his entourage, before returning to Chicago to keep the party going.

His bender ended only when Jordan went to his apartment and hauled Rodman out while a naked Electra hid behind a couch, trying to cover herself in bed sheets.

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After Electra told that story on screens across America today, she started trending on Twitter.

In an interview with Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times, Electra said watching Rodman in his prime in The Last Dance "brought tears to my eyes" as she reflected on her understanding of a man who, to this day, remains an enigma to many.

While basketball fans saw the defensive beast on the floor — Electra acknowledges Rodman was a "savage" on the court — the actress said she was lucky to glimpse behind the curtain at Rodman's sweet, romantic side.

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But passion was a constant. Like during the "surprise" Rodman organised when the Bulls had a day off from practice.

"He blindfolds me and we get on his motorcycle. When he finally takes my blindfold off, we're standing at the Bulls practice facility, centre court," Electra told the LA Times.

"It was crazy, like two kids in a candy store. We were eating popsicles from the fridge and pretty much having sex all over the damn place — in the physical therapy room, in the weight room. Obviously on the court.

"To be honest, I don't think he's ever worked out so hard in his life."

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After meeting at a Los Angeles nightclub, Electra and Rodman — who had previously dated pop star Madonna — fell quickly for each other and sparks flew after he invited her to a Bulls game. She'd watch him play and they'd go clubbing together but the emotional toll was hard to take whenever she had to hop on a plane and leave Chicago.

"Seeing the Bulls play was amazing. Michael and Scottie Pippen. That first night in Chicago, Dennis told me, 'You're not leaving'," Electra said. "After that, it was quick. We fell for each other pretty fast.

"I was in my 20s. I was down for drinking and going to the clubs. I ended up becoming one of the boys. He wanted me to go to all the games and everywhere with him. Every time I would leave Chicago, I would be on the plane and I'd start crying because I missed him.

"Everywhere we went, people would follow. I always called him the Pied Piper.

"We would hit the strip club, then after-hours clubs. We were having a blast."

Electra was in the locker room with Rodman and the Bulls as they celebrated their 1998 championship, but the good times were about to end as their fiery relationship eventually flamed out.

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Rodman and Electra married during a bender in Vegas in 1998 but just nine days later filed for an annulment. Less than a year after their wedding they were divorced and in 1999 they were both arrested after a physical altercation at a hotel in Miami.

But Electra has fond memories of the time they spent together and even though she may not speak much with Rodman anymore, the 48-year-old will be keeping a keen eye on The Last Dance as the remaining episodes drop over the coming weeks.

View this post on Instagram

Hope all u luva’s had a beautiful holiday ❤️

A post shared by Carmen Electra (@carmenelectra) on Feb 15, 2020 at 11:46am PST

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