Dennis does the dirty work

Sporting legend Dennis Rodman stepped off the bench at one of the smallest venues in British basketball, took up his defensive stance and immediately did the dirtiest job in the game.

He drew a charging foul.

In that moment, the man with a string of conquests to his name, not all of them on court, dispelled any doubts as to whether he had really come to play.

The five-times NBA champion took a hit under his own basket to draw a foul for his team, then handed a lovely no-look assist to Steve Parillon on the next possesison.

Genesis Brighton Bears' celebrity signing finished with a stat line which will dazzle no one and an all-round contribution which those who were part of it will not forget for a long time.

Four points, seven rebounds, two steals and one block looks precious little for a fee that has not been revealed but one imagines is well into five figures.

Now consider this. Queues outside the Triangle two hours before tip-off, players taking cameras into the locker room to capture one of the greatest nights of their lives, massive media interest and feverish excitement around the stands, a game worthy of the occasion, a regular Bears star having his name chanted at the end and less vaunted Brits playing out their skins.

Consider that this Bears season was going nowhere a month ago.

Consider that this third successive win was achieved in cliffhanger style with Heat missing a three-pointer on the buzzer that would have forced overtime.

And finally remember one thing. At the heart of it was Dennis Rodman not playing like a circus act or a Harlem Globetrotter but playing like...Dennis Rodman.

In his heyday, Rodman was the piano shifter who allowed Michael Jordan to play the sweet music.

We wondered if, cast as the star of the show, he would think he had to play like Mike.

Not so. In style if not in quality, this was pure Rodman.

Okay, so the 54 per cent free throw shooter took it to extremes by failing twice from the line with six seconds to go, allowing Heat one last shot at saving themselves.

Bears were three points up at the time after Ajou Deng's three-pointer, Heat's only success from 18 long-range attempts, dragged them back into the game.

But the hosts would have settled for that position after being 11-2 down when Rodman entered the fray for the first time midway through the first quarter.

He stood large in the middle of the zone defence, held the fort alone when his four colleagues went forward to execute a productive full court press and always had words of encouragement and advice.

He even flung himself into advertising boards to try and save a ball, just as he did in his very last Chicago Bulls game, a dive captured in one of the most famous photos in NBA history.

Yes, he missed shots, he turned the ball over a couple of times and he jacked up a poor three-point attempt which almost let Heat back in the game.

But the Rodman experience was overwhelmingly positive.

Not least for the eight Bears who were there before he arrived and will still be there when the big man has departed to check out properties on Miami's Star Island or wherever he intends to settle.

Rodman didn't care much for the sparkling water or rather puny cigar he was offered at the post-match press conferecne.

But he appreciated the work of his new team mates, saying: "I wasn't here trying to steal the show.

"The players have played their asses off to be here and I came to support them."

Players like Martin Yabsley, an unsung English centre who scored seven points on three-of-three shooting and quickly struck up an understanding with the man in No. 91.

Or Martin Gottfried for the visitors, defending like his life depended on it.

Like Brian Dux, the Guildford playmaker who could hardly miss a shot at first, then started getting to the free throw line late on to keep his team alive.

Or, most of all, two men who thrive on the big stage: Jerry Williams and Terrance McGee.

Livewire McGee was fabulous, fittingly Rodman's choice as the game's best player. He had 22 points, constantly made things happen and continued his recent trend of taking care of the ball, committing just two turnovers.

Williams played with a smile, creating and sinking his own shots often from nothing, converting free throws, chipping in with two steals and seven rebounds and whipping up the crowd when he could.

The cry from the stands at the end was "Jerry, Jerry" and they didn't mean Springer. (Unless, of course, the TV host was, like soul legend Alexander O'Neal, somewhere in the crowd.)

And that was maybe the biggest plus of the night.

Bears, and BBL teams like them, have players who can excite and bring you to the edge of your seats.

They do not have NBA rings or appear on Big Brother (though ex-Bears Sullivan Phillips and James Hamilton have been spotted on less famous reality shows.)

But, for a tenner a ticket, players like Williams and McGee entertain crowds week in, week out and teams of low-profile players produce matches of drama and excitement.

Even without Rodman, it is not a bad show.

And if a few fans who turned out to see a celebrity learn that, Dennis will have left a fitting legacy.