Dennis Rodman and Alonzo Mourning finally put an end to a beef that stretched nearly 30 years, and they did it with a handshake and a laugh.
The two Hall of Famers were fierce rivals in the late 90s, when Rodman was with the Chicago Bulls and Mourning anchored the Miami Heat. Their teams met in the first round of the playoffs in 1996 and again in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997, with Chicago winning both series.
The matchups got chippy fast, and Rodman and Mourning were often locked up physically. At one point, Mourning even put Rodman in a headlock.
The bad blood never really went away.
That changed at a recent Hall of Fame ceremony. Chris Webber posted a video on X showing Rodman and Mourning greeting each other warmly, smiling and sharing a laugh. Kevin Garnett was there too, adding his usual energy while hyping up the legends around him.
“Power Forward Summit. What’s beef? Zo and Dennis haven’t shook hands in almost 30 years,” wrote Webber in the caption.
Power Forward Summit. What’s Beef? Zo and Dennis haven’t shook hands in almost 30 years..🫡🫡🫡🫡#powerforward #hof #blessed #ByGodsGrace Spread Love! pic.twitter.com/p4Hn4NNdn5
— Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) August 17, 2026
Fans quickly jumped on the moment, happy to see two former enemies turn the page.
“Didn’t know how good we had it back in the day with this group,” said @jaywharris3.
“Heat fan here, and there was real, real basketball hatred between Zo and Rodman. Love seeing this now after all these years,” added @Dougdc44.
“This is my favorite post of the day. I started watching basketball in the early 90s. Love all these guys,” shared @FreeAdviceGuy.
“Bro, you keep bringing folks together. Doing the Lord’s work!” wrote @REALDonThomas.
“This just brought so much joy to my heart. This is what sports, culture, LIFE is supposed to be about,” commented @itscaliCLiF.
Rodman, Mourning, Webber and Garnett are all in the Hall of Fame, a fitting backdrop for a reunion between players whose careers left a major mark on the game.
Rodman won five rings with the Bulls and the Detroit Pistons, and he is widely considered the greatest rebounder in league history.
Mourning won a title in 2006 and became an inspiration after returning from a life-threatening kidney disease in 2003.
In Other News...
Caleb Wilson Gives Bulls Fans An Early Rebuild Test
The Bulls are heading into a season where Caleb Wilson may become one of the more closely watched parts of the roster, not because anyone expects him to carry the offense right away, but because his role could say a lot about where the rebuild is headed. As a rookie, he will have to adjust quickly to the speed and physicality of the NBA, and the early returns will likely be measured less by raw production than by how comfortably he fits into the flow of the team.
Wilson also has a chance to carve out something bigger than a standard first-year role if the Bulls are willing to let him learn on the fly. For a team in evaluation mode, his confidence and development matter just as much as the box score, which makes his first season a useful test of patience, usage and long-term vision. The unanswered question is how much runway he will actually get to become a focal point before the pressure to produce starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rebuild Wont Work Until This Identity Problem Gets Fixed
Chicagos defensive conversation has been stuck on the same theme for a while now: the Bulls have too often looked like a team missing the kind of consistent motor that changes possessions. Alex Caruso and JaVonte Green stood out as the rare exceptions, the sort of players who set a tone every night, and that contrast has only sharpened the debate around what this roster is supposed to be. Even with personnel changes intended to address the problem, the larger issue has remained less about scheme than about identity.
The swap of Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro was supposed to help in that area, but Okoros defensive impact during the 2025-26 season has not answered all of those questions. Dillon Brooks comes up as the model, the kind of relentless defender whose energy and edge the Bulls could use more of if they want the rebuild to mean something on that end of the floor. Until the front office starts prioritizing players with that same defensive motor, the fix feels incomplete. [Read more 🡒]