Dennis Rodman, former NBA star and parttime actor, met his father for the first time following an exhibition basketball game in the Philippines, according to CBS Sports. Philander Rodman Jr. claims to have fathered 29 children by 16 women, which is a staggering number to wrap your brain around. I can’t imagine having one child to take care of, let alone 29. This may explain why the guy was hiding out in the Philippines for over 50 years.
However, despite the lack of contact over the past 42 years, Dennis seemed to take the whole encounter rather well. Although their meeting was nothing more than a handshake and a greeting — he was in the midst of signing autographs at the time — both seemed to walk away from the experience with a positive attitude. This is particularly impressive for the former professional basketball player, who refused to discuss the matter only six years ago.
“I don’t hate the guy that brought me into this world,” Dennis Rodman explained to reporters. “The fact is, if I saw him, I’ll just tell him, `You know, you’re a friend of mine.”‘
In fact, with only a handful of seconds left in the exhibition game, the younger Rodman snagged a microphone and acknowledged his father’s presence in the crowd. He’s kind of hard to miss: Philander is the guy wearing the “Yes, Dennis Rodman is my son” hat.
“It was great,” Philander said to the Associated Press. “I’ve been trying to meet him for years. And then last night, boom, I met him. I was really, really happy and very surprised.”
Rodman Jr., who is now 71 years-old, still lives and works in the Philippines. He’s the proud owner of — wait for it — Rodman’s Rainbow Obamaburger restaurant in Angeles City. The eatery is known for its colorful burgers, which feature red, yellow, and green colored buns and fries, which are a not-so-subtle tribute to his son. As soon as they start naming menu items after Dennis’ turn in the Van Damme actioner “Double Team”, I’m purchasing an airplane ticket ASAP.
Check out some pictures from this father and son renunion below.
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