Lakers owe championship to Dennis Rodman?

June 23, 11:14 AMLos Angeles Lakers ExaminerColin Ward-Henninger

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AP Photo/Reed Saxon

After the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship, I decided I needed a break.

I took a little vacation up to beautiful Parry Sound, Ontario where I ate great food, went tubing on the lake, and tried my best not to think about the Lakers.

So when I got back today, I took a look at my Lakers headlines and what I saw was probably the LAST thing I would have ever expected:

According to Phil Jackson, the Lakers owe this season's championship, and perhaps their three previous rings, to the one...the only...Dennis Rodman.

Well, maybe he didn't say it in those words, but he did say this:

Dennis fed off the coach, and you know how volatile he could be. He could be really excitable. I just said, 'I'm going to sit down and be quiet and just see if that cools him down.'

Evidently the tactic worked, and Jackson adopted the calm demeanor we have come to expect.

Although it can sometimes be frustrating, you can't argue with the results. Screaming like Stan Van Gundy doesn't work for every team, and clearly whatever Phil did with the Lakers this season worked.

So when you're looking back on this season's championship team, don't forget about the unsung hero. The one with the multi-colored hair, penchant for cross-dressing, and undeniable acting talent: Dennis "the worm" Rodman.