Flashback Friday: How WCW Hijacked the NBA Finals — and Got Away With It
By MainEvent.News – based on reporting by Marc Raimondi, author of “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America” (Book available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IdT0OP) or for a limited time join Amazon Audible Plus currently at the time of article publication free for 3 months then $14.99 a month and Hear the Book for FREE: https://amzn.to/44HpMzE — (Official Amazon Affiliate – we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.)
In one of the wildest crossovers between sports and spectacle, the 1998 NBA Finals weren’t just about Michael Jordan’s legendary last shot — they were also about pro wrestling’s calculated invasion of the mainstream. On June 14, 1998, Game 6 between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz turned into something far more theatrical than expected — and it wasn’t entirely by accident.
As Bulls forward Dennis Rodman and Jazz powerhouse Karl Malone tangled repeatedly on the hardwood, few fans realized they were watching the seeds of a professional wrestling storyline play out. It was more than just a rivalry — it was promotion. The two future Hall of Famers weren’t just competing for a ring; they were building toward a pay-per-view.
According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, whose new book Say Hello to the Bad Guys dives deep into the cultural impact of pro wrestling’s New World Order (nWo), WCW intentionally blurred the lines between sports and scripted drama. Raimondi recounts how WCW insiders allegedly admitted to “compromising the NBA Finals” by using Rodman and Malone’s on-court heat to sell an upcoming tag match at Bash at the Beach — a bout that would pit Rodman and Hulk Hogan against Malone and Diamond Dallas Page.
It all began months earlier when Malone recognized DDP at a Rockets game and threw up the diamond hand sign. The two struck up a friendship that quickly turned into a business opportunity. With Eric Bischoff working behind the scenes to bring Rodman back to WCW, Page floated the idea of a tag match — and Malone was in.
Rodman made his return to WCW Monday Nitro on June 8, just one day after the Bulls beat the Jazz in Game 3. He appeared alongside Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Bret Hart, lounging in a VIP suite and popping champagne like a man who had already won. Meanwhile, the NBA wasn’t thrilled. Rodman “overslept” the next day and missed team practice — reportedly after staying up too late celebrating his Nitro cameo. He was fined $10,000 by the league and another undisclosed amount by the Bulls.
Bischoff claims he told both players before the game not to alter the actual outcome, but to “let us know you don’t like each other” during dead-ball moments. Mission accomplished: Rodman and Malone clashed not once, not twice, but three times on one play, eventually collapsing to the court in a heap of tangled limbs. Referees called a foul. TV audiences were hooked. And wrestling history had infiltrated basketball’s biggest stage.
Even Rodman’s agent, Dwight Manley, acknowledged the authenticity of the tension: “[The wrestling storyline] 100% changed the dynamic between them,” he said. “Look at the other eleven games they played. Never had it like that.”
Legendary commentator Bob Costas couldn’t hide his disdain, referring to their upcoming tag match as “one of those bogus events” and questioning why Malone would “lower himself” to it. But the truth is, wrestling had already won. WCW managed to attach itself to an NBA Finals featuring Michael Jordan — the most iconic athlete of the era — and made it part of their storyline.
For a full deep dive into how WCW pulled off this unprecedented fusion of sports and spectacle, check out ESPN's Marc Raimondi’s newly released book Say Hello to the Bad Guys, available now on Amazon. It’s an unfiltered look at how wrestling’s rebellious 1990s era changed American pop culture forever.
Huge thanks to Marc Raimondi for revisiting one of the most unforgettable crossovers in pro wrestling history. His work shines a spotlight on a moment that still gives fans goosebumps to this day.
Watch the video below — it's pure electricity (it takes place a year earlier during Dennis Rodman's initial WCW run, but still aligns perfectly with the article. Truly a great time to be a wrestling fan.)
