A Man, Who Got a Death Sentence, versus Dennis Rodman

By Gary Kaltbaum

Something stuck out for me today.

I have had a relationship with TradingMarkets.com for a number of years. In the early-2000s we had a convention out at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Our main speaker was Magic Johnson. They asked me to interview Magic Johnson in front of around 600 people. I sat there at a table with him and I just started asking him questions.

I asked him the same kind of questions I ask for me myself:

What are your plans? What are you goals in life?

You may recall he was found to have HIV and obviously he’s beaten as much as you can beat it.

And he had told me that he wanted to make his mark in the business world especially in the areas that have been blighted and since then, he has been the owner of a ton of Starbucks, movie theaters – all kinds of businesses.

And today, he led a group of investors that bought out the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He’s been one heck of an inspiration in the business world and to young kids.

And it wasn’t always that way.

He was very popular, and he went astray. He cheated on his wife and ended up with HIV.

But today, all I know is that he’s nothing but a success story.

He made the decision of who he was and what he wanted to become.

Read up about him. He’s been a great driver of success, especially in the areas that need the most help.

And why do I bring this up?

Because the same day that I’m reading about Magic Johnson, I’m also reading about Dennis Rodman.

Now, here’s the coincidence in this.

The weekend that I interviewed Magic Johnson, I ran in to Dennis Rodman.

I played craps with him. We were in Vegas. And I got into a conversation with him. We were both in a lounge in the spa at the Mirage Hotel. And me being the Budinski that I am…I asked him the same questions.

“So what are you going to do with yourself?”

He said something like, “We’ll see what happens. Right now I’m having a great, great time. You know I’m hosting all these gigs at all these hotels and just hanging out with the women.”

And he was basically on a little bit of alcohol at the time.

And this is a true story.

And the same day that I read about Magic Johnson, I read that Dennis Rodman is broke, can’t pay his child support and his attorney says he’s extremely sick because of alcohol.

I’m not bringing this up for me. I’m bringing this up for me kids because I’m going to talk to them about this.

Two people who were very popular. Made a lot of money. Played in the NBA.

One of them was hit with a potential death sentence.

And what happens?

One makes the decision of who he’s going to be and who he wants to be.

And he planned it out and surrounded himself with the right people.

And he is now a major league, over the top businessman.

And Dennis Rodman owes $808,000 in back child support and on and on.

Read the rest here.

(htVireshAmin)