Dennis Rodman, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, lounges in a chair on the patio of his oceanfront home in Newport Beach, Calif. After multiple hues and shades, Rodman's hair is back to its original black, although it's now permanently brittle. Jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt advertising Josh Slocum's, a restaurant and nightclub nearby that he co-owns, obscure the tattoos. For his entire adult life, Rodman has vacillated between sweet child and self-destructive adolescent. At the moment, the teenager seems to be dominating. The seven-time National Basketball Association rebounding champion and onetime Jean-Claude Van Damme co-star seems giddy and a little incoherent.

''Welcome to Rodman's Reef,'' he shouts. ''Welcome to my crazy world. Put your tape recorder away, have a beer and write anything you want. One rule: you gotta match me drink for drink.'' He pauses, then adds seriously, ''Just please don't say I'm an idiot.''

Michelle Moyer, a 36-year-old blonde and the mother of Rodman's two youngest children, ages 2 and 1, reclines nearby in a black bikini. Their relationship is unorthodox. Moyer and the kids live a couple of miles away. Rodman, a chronic insomniac, often stops by in the wee hours after making a Pampers run or picking up roses for Moyer. They were married on May 13, Rodman's 42nd birthday, just four months after Rodman was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. The marriage is Rodman's third. His first ended after 82 days; the second, to the model-actress Carmen Electra, lasted five months.

Already it is hard to remember how famous Dennis Rodman was. But just six years ago, the president of the United States actually answered a question about Rodman, who had kicked a photographer during a game. ''I'm sure in his heart of hearts he regrets doing that,'' Bill Clinton said, adding, ''I'm a big Rodman fan.''