“They Hadn’t Expected a 6ft 8” Black Man”: Dennis Rodman’s Friendship With a 12 y/o Who Shot His Best Friend Started on a Strange Note
Daniel Johnston
Published Apr 09, 2026
It’s hard to come across another celebrity like Dennis Rodman. The life he has lived, the adventures he has had are one of a kind. He is the prime example of being unique can help you succeed. His uniqueness, often interpreted as eccentricity, also helped a young Dennis find a surrogate family in an unexpected place. A 6ft 8″ kid who had only been hurt suddenly chanced upon a friendship that would quite literally change his life.
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When Rodman was 22, he started his college career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Until then, he had been deemed too small to play basketball. But a recent height spur changed his prospects.
In 1983, Rodman moved to Durant, OK. There, he met a 12-year-old who joined the same basketball camp. The two quickly developed a friendship that transcended logic. Though, Dennis Rodman had to go through an interview to maintain that friendship.
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Dennis Rodman was questioned by the Rich Family
Before meeting Dennis, Byrne Rich, then 12, experienced a heartbreaking event. While on a hunting trip, Byrne accidentally shot his best friend in the stomach who later died. This tragedy left Byrne deeply disturbed. When he met Rodman, the young Rich had felt crippling depression for months.
Their unpredictable friendship paved a path for both to heal and develop. However, Dennis Rodman first had to pass his interview with Byrne’s parents. In his 1988 article, Johnette Howard in an article for the Chicago Tribune, detailed Rodman’s first meeting with the Rich family.
Johnette: “When Bryne Rich brought Dennis Rodman home for dinner the first time, the reception was awkward. Bryne, then 12, hadn`t told his parents, who lived 14 miles from the Southeastern campus, that his new friend ”Worm” was 6-foot-8 and black. Rodman now jokes that the first dinner ”was like an interview for the job of friend.”
The Worm spent three years with the Rich Family
After passing his interview, Rodman slept on the floor of his new friend. This was the start of a beautiful friendship and perhaps the first time Dennis found love and affection.
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After their bond deepened, Dennis moved out of his college dorm and moved in with the Richs. With them, he found a surrogate family. Dennis became more focussed on basketball and Byrne started overcoming his trauma.
Unfortunately, things are not the same between Dennis Rodman and the Rich family but it will not alter the fascinating bond they shared in the past.
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