Dennis the Menace vs. The Commish

DALLAS (AP) -- It would be the ultimate cage match, a pay-per-view extravaganza every NBA player would surely watch. The combatants in this tantalizing no-holds-barred free-for-all: Dennis the Menace

Friday, February 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) -- It would be the ultimate cage match, a pay-per-view extravaganza every NBA player would surely watch. The combatants in this tantalizing no-holds-barred free-for-all: Dennis the Menace and The Commish. Sure, Dennis Rodman is probably joking about wanting to go mano a mano with David Stern, and even if he is serious, there's no way the NBA commissioner would ever go for it. But it is kind of fun to think about.

Rodman, who played college ball at Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant, had more time to think about it after the league suspended him for one game and fined him $10,000 Wednesday for his behavior on the court the previous night. Playing just his second game for the Dallas Mavericks, Rodman picked up consecutive technical fouls with 7:13 left for arguing a non-call against Milwaukee, then for sitting on the court in protest.

The second technical meant an automatic ejection, the 23rd of Rodman's career. What got Rodman in trouble, though, was arguing with the officials, then running across the court and giving his jersey to a fan. League spokesman Chris Brienza said Rodman was punished for "failing to leave the court in a timely manner following an ejection and for verbally abusing the officials." It wasn't, Brienza said, for Rodman saying that he and the commissioner should "get some damn gloves on and we go in the ring and we can see who'll come out the winner."

Rodman, who has been throwing verbal jabs at Stern for years, was still talking about settling matters with his fists after practice Wednesday. "I expect David Stern is going to do something, but I don't give a damn," Rodman said before the suspension was announced. "Me and David Stern need to clear our differences. Like I said last night, let's get into the ring. He gets naked, I get naked and let's go in and get it on, brother."

After the suspension was announced, Rodman said through his spokeswoman: "I don't know why all this focus is on me. I'm a competitor. I want my team to win and, yes, I got upset. "But I'm being singled out only because I'm passionate aboutwinning. I'm here in Dallas to help this team win. And you've got to be kidding me, if everybody is really taking the comments after the game seriously."

Rodman actually was having a good game before being tossed. He had 16 rebounds -- the most by a Dallas player this season â€“ and added six points and four assists in 36 minutes. The Mavericks won seven of eight games before Rodman arrived, but have lost two straight with the eccentric rebounding star in the lineup. Rodman will miss a game tonight at home against Detroit. He'll return Sunday in Toronto.