Consider This Before Collecting a Dual Dennis and Trinity Rodman Card
Earlier this year, Leaf Trading Cards released a limited print-to-order product: Family Ties Dennis Rodman and Trinity Rodman Autograph for $99.99 in “ultra limited quantities.” Leaf also followed up with an even less justifiable dual auto of the two Rodmans in their Leaf Exotic Military and Leaf Eclectic Multi-Sport products later in 2024. Leaf makes beautiful products, but that is sometimes overshadowed by being unlicensed and some questionable character signers. Just because Leaf can make a dual autograph card of Trinity and Dennis, should they?
Trinity Rodman is one of the top athletes in modern sports. The second pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, in 2024 alone she has won an Olympic gold medal, been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, and competed in the NWSL Championship. At just 22, Trinity has carved her own path in the athletic community with every addition to her professional resume; and yet, she is still forced to live in the shadow of her estranged father: NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman. Trinity recently went on the Call Her Daddy podcast to speak about her blossoming career as well as her upbringing and how that impacted her journey.
While many second generation athletes are closely aligned with their parents, like LeBron and Bronny James earlier this year, there are stark differences between their experience and that of the Rodman's. With athletes like the Jameses, the Griffeys, the Rivers, the Currys, the children are not just playing in the same leagues their parents participated in. These parent-child relationships are effortless in their public narratives because the bonds are not only present, they are innate to the athletes’ experiences.
Trinity and Dennis Rodman, however, have a well-documented history of estrangement. Born in 2002, Trinity and her older brother, DJ, arrived after Dennis retired from the NBA. Instead of Dennis’s post-NBA lifestyle transitioning to a new chapter of life, he continued a lot of his behavior that was never conducive to a wife and young kids at home.
Dennis Rodman was one of the most eclectic players in the history of the NBA both on and off the court. His bold play style and eccentric off-the-court escapades made him an icon of the 90s while being a key piece of the Bulls Dynasty and winning five total career championships. Behind the limelight, however, Dennis suffered with substance abuse, mental health, and issues stemming from his relationship with his own estranged father.
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Despite the immense privilege one might expect for Trinity and her brother, she explained that there were times her mother had to move them into hotels or their Ford Expedition for weeks at a time. Trinity shared there could be months or years without word from Dennis and that when he does re-emerge she struggles with the emotional turmoil that ensues.
It is unrealistic to expect Trinity’s athletic identity to stand completely separate from Dennis’s, but that has never been the objective. Pairing the two on a card titled “Family Ties” on the crux of them being a father-daughter pair is insincere, especially with the use of sticker autographs, signaling neither athlete may have been aware of the design. Not to mention, they excel in two completely different sports, further splintering the argument for pairing the two on collectibles.
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It is easy to understand why these two elite athletes are constantly tethered to one another, but it should also be quite clear why they should not always be. The connection is, at best, superficial and quite disingenuous to the collectible catalog of an emerging female athlete making “Rodman” synonymous with more than just men’s basketball. Even Dennis’s public response to Trinity’s interview shows that there is still a lot of work for the senior Rodman to do.
Trinity has told us time and time again that her relationship with her father is unstable. She has previously answered questions about her famous father with grace and respect for him, his professional accomplishments, and their strained past, but with her recent interview she was quite clear: “He’s not a dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else.”
Lauren is a writer, collector, Orlando Magic basketball fan, and artist. Her writing can also be found on Hobby News Daily. You can follow her at instagram.com/laurengoeshere.