DJ Rodman finds a home with JSerra basketball team and like his father, hopes to play in the NBA one day

DJ Rodman, shown after a tournament game earlier this season at Northwood, helped JSerra jump out to a 12-2 start this season.

JSerra’s boys basketball team jumped to a 12-2 start and one of the main reasons has been the play of senior guard DJ Rodman, who had some big games in the So Cal Elite Gary Raya Classic in Irvine earlier this month.

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Rodman, who transferred last year from Corona del Mar, was named all-tournament and helped the Lions advance into the semifinals of the tournament, where they lost to eventual champion Tesoro 55-54. Rodman had 31 points in that game as the Lions suffered their first loss of the year after 12 straight wins to start. JSerra has been ranked fourth in the county by the Orange County Register.

Rodman also had 25 points in a 65-55 victory over Northwood and 27 points in the third place game against Edison, which the Chargers won 62-57.

Rodman, the son of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, talked about that game with OC Sports Zone. He also talked about other subjects. DJ Rodman said he was too young to see his father play NBA basketball in person but he watched lots of tapes of him and he is often reminded what a great rebounder his father was. DJ Rodman added that Dennis Rodman went to one JSerra game last year to see him play but he believes he will attend more games this season.

Talk about being at JSerra:

Rodman: I love it here. It brings the competition and the exposure that everyone needs and deserves on this team. It’s just so nice being around people who accept you for yourself and not my name.

What is it like being Dennis Rodman’s son?

Rodman: It’s good and bad, at the same time. It’s good because I have little kids looking up to me, 10 and 12 (year-olds), it’s nice being that role model for those kids.

What about the future?

Rodman: I’m still super open to the colleges that want me. I’m not dead set on one college, but who wants me as who I am. If I keep playing like I did in the second half (of the game against Tesoro) I think I will be fine with everything.

Would you like to play in the NBA?

Rodman: That’s what I want to do in the future. But if it’s not meant to be, I want to do something that has to do with basketball, like be an agent or be a broadcaster and be involved with the sport.

What do you think about your father’s NBA career?

Rodman: I watched tons of tapes on him. I love watching him, just the competitiveness he played with and the people he went against, no matter who it was, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Shaq, David Robinson, the best bigs in the league. It was just amazing to see that he didn’t care who he was going against, that he could defend and lock down whoever was their guy. It was awesome to know who he was as a player, and to see what he did.

What are your goals for the season?

Rodman: My biggest goal is to grow as a team and a family and if we do that, the winning will come and championships will come. We just have to be patient and take the long ride of being a team and being together.

UPDATE: DJ Rodman looking at college options

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com