NBA Great Dennis Rodman Delivers Emotional Speech During Hall of Fame Induction (Video)

Although he didn't impact the game on the offensive side of the court, retired NBA great Dennis Rodman was one of the best to ever do it ... on the defensive side, and on the boards.

The very side of the court no one wanted to focus on, Rodman made it the very thing his whole career was build upon. The retired NBA great locked down players at all positions  ... and did it at just 6'6".  He just loved the game, and it showed during his emotional speech at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday (August 12), baring his soul in front of his peers.

"I didn't play the game for the money, I didn't play the game to be famous. What you see here is more just an illusion that I love to just be. An individual that's very colorful," Rodman said before thanking NBA commissioner David Stern, and the league. "This game has been very good to me. I could've been any where in the world -- I could've been dead, I could've been a drug dealer, I could've been homeless (I was homeless). And, a lot of you guys are here that's in the Hall of Fame know what I'm talking about, living in the projects and trying to get out, and I did that."

Rodman called Phil Jackson, Lakers owner Jerry Buss and some of his previous coaches father figures to him, while admitting to being a bad father, and a selfish son. But, in the humbling moment, he said he plans to turn it all around.

Off the court, he was colorful, but on the court, Rodman (aka The Worm) was all business, and his place in the Hall of Fame is well deserved.

Rodman's career accolades include five NBA championships, he was named Defensive Player of the Year twice, he was a seven-time NBA rebounding champ, and was named to the All-Defensive First Team seven times. Check out the "Career Retrospective" by NBA.com below.