Dennis Rodman Responds to Wilt Chamberlain’s 20,000 Women Claim: “I Can’t Lie Like Wilt Chamberlain”
Dennis Rodman, the NBA’s most colorful and controversial character, once took a swipe at Wilt Chamberlain’s infamous claim of having slept with 20,000 women. Rodman, known for his eccentric lifestyle both on and off the court, addressed this bold assertion by the legendary Wilt, asserting that he couldn’t bring himself to “lie like Wilt Chamberlain” and keep track of his sexual encounters.
Rodman’s own journey with women was one of transformation. Growing up, he felt ignored by girls, describing himself as small, skinny, and “funny-looking.” He even confessed that he didn’t lose his virginity until the age of 20, and that too, to a prostitute from the projects. But once Rodman found fame and fortune in the NBA, his life took a dramatic turn. He became the center of attention for women, with his fame and party animal persona drawing crowds wherever he went. This newfound notoriety, he said, made sex a regular part of his life.
In typical Rodman fashion, he famously declared, “Fifty percent of life in the NBA is sex. The other fifty percent is money.” This proclamation reflected not only his playful attitude but also how his lifestyle of partying and indulging became just as important to his identity as his basketball skills.
One of the high points of Rodman’s personal life was his brief, high-profile relationship with pop icon Madonna. The Queen of Pop reportedly became so infatuated with him that she allegedly offered him $20 million to impregnate her. Rodman’s relationships with beautiful women didn’t end there, as he also famously married model and Baywatch star Carmen Electra. But before their marriage, Rodman admitted that his life was so filled with women that it felt like a full-time job. Yet, unlike Chamberlain, Rodman refused to track his sexual conquests.
“I would never keep track of the number of women I’ve been with,” Rodman said. “I can’t lie like Wilt Chamberlain. There’s no scoreboard in my bedroom.”
Chamberlain, for his part, is known for making the audacious claim that he slept with 20,000 women during his lifetime. Many questioned the accuracy of this number, but in his book Wilt: Larger than Life, Rod Roddewig, a close friend of Wilt’s, explained that he had personally witnessed Wilt’s amorous activities. Roddewig tracked Wilt’s encounters while they spent 10 days together in Hawaii, documenting that Chamberlain had slept with 23 women during that period. The math, however, seemed to support Wilt’s claim: 2.3 women per day for the rest of his life.
Though some find it hard to believe, Rodman wasn’t concerned with numbers. He didn’t need a scoreboard or a record—his approach was purely about living in the moment. Whether Wilt’s legendary claims were true or not, one thing was clear: both men lived their lives in the spotlight, surrounded by women, and embraced the hedonistic side of NBA fame.
In the end, it’s impossible to say who was more prolific between Rodman and Chamberlain, but one thing is certain: both left their mark—not just on the court, but in the pages of pop culture history.
