Alexis Rodman is the first child of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, born long before her father became one of basketball’s most recognizable personalities off the court. While her dad built a career defined by headlines, colorful hair, and rebounding records, Alexis chose a far quieter path. Here is what is publicly known about her life.
Early Life and Family Background
Alexis Rodman was born on September 28, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. Her arrival came at a pivotal moment in her father’s career, as Dennis Rodman was rising through the ranks of the Detroit Pistons and working toward his first NBA championship. Because her father was already stepping into the public eye, Alexis grew up with a degree of media attention attached to her name from a very young age, even though her parents tried to shield her from it as much as possible.
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Her mother is Annie Bakes, who was born Anicka Bakes and worked as a model before later becoming a published author. Annie and Dennis had a relationship that stretched on and off for several years before they eventually decided to marry. Alexis was their only child together, and her childhood unfolded during a turbulent period for her parents, whose relationship was frequently in flux even after she was born.
Growing up, Alexis experienced a home life shaped less by stability and more by the unpredictability that came with her father’s fame. Her parents’ repeated separations and reconciliations meant that her early years were not conventional, and she has spoken in the past about how difficult it was to navigate her father’s public image as a child, particularly when classmates brought up stories about his behavior on and off the basketball court.
Parents’ Relationship and Marriage
Dennis Rodman and Annie Bakes eventually married in 1992, several years after Alexis was born. Their marriage, however, did not last. The couple divorced after just 82 days together as husband and wife, one of the shortest marriages associated with Rodman’s personal life. Despite the brevity of their union, both parents remained tied to one another through their daughter, and Annie went on to write about her experiences in the relationship in books she published later in life.
The short-lived marriage became one of the more talked-about chapters in Dennis Rodman’s personal history, largely because of how quickly it dissolved. For Alexis, though, the more lasting impact was growing up between two parents who were no longer together, with her father often absent due to the demands of professional basketball and the personal struggles that accompanied his growing fame.
Relationship With Her Father, Dennis Rodman
The bond between Alexis and her father has gone through distinct phases over the years. During her childhood, Dennis Rodman’s busy career, combined with his well-documented off-court struggles, meant that he was not a consistent presence in her life. In 1996, when Alexis was eight years old, Dennis spoke about her publicly during an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” offering a rare glimpse into his feelings as a father even as their day-to-day relationship remained strained.
For a period afterward, father and daughter drifted apart, with long stretches of limited contact between them. The distance was not unusual given Dennis Rodman’s turbulent personal life during those years, but it left a lasting mark on Alexis, who has described having to develop resilience while dealing with the gap left by her father’s absence.
Their relationship eventually began to mend when Alexis was in her mid-twenties. Around the age of 24, she and her father spent an extended period reconnecting, during which Dennis reportedly focused simply on listening to her talk about her life and experiences. That reunion marked a turning point, and since then, the two have maintained a more positive connection, even though Alexis continues to keep most details of their relationship private.
Half-Siblings: DJ Rodman and Trinity Rodman
Alexis is the eldest of Dennis Rodman’s three children, and she has two younger half-siblings from her father’s later relationships. After his brief marriage to Annie Bakes, Dennis was married for a short time to model Carmen Electra before going on to have two more children with his third wife, Michelle Moyer.
Her half-brother, Dennis “DJ” Rodman Jr., was born on April 25, 2001. DJ has followed his father into basketball, playing at the collegiate level before pursuing a career in the sport in his own right. Her half-sister, Trinity Rodman, was born in 2002 and has gone on to become one of the most recognizable young stars in professional women’s soccer, earning global attention for her performances on the field.
Although the three siblings were raised in different circumstances and have pursued very different paths, they share a connection through their father that has drawn continued public interest, particularly as both DJ and Trinity have built their own public profiles in sports.
Education, Swimming Background, and Coaching Career
Unlike her father and her siblings, Alexis Rodman has largely avoided the spotlight when it comes to her professional life. Rather than pursuing sports at a high-profile level or stepping into entertainment, she has built a quieter career connected to swimming. Reports indicate that Alexis has worked as a swim coach in California, first coaching at the high school level before later becoming an assistant coach with the Rio Del Oro Rapids swim program.
As a coach, Alexis has reportedly focused on freestyle and breaststroke training. Interestingly, her stated favorite quote in her coaching biography references perseverance, a sentiment echoing words associated with Michael Jordan, who was once her father’s teammate during his championship years with the Chicago Bulls. This detail offers a small but telling connection between her private career and the basketball world she grew up around, even though she chose not to pursue the sport herself.
Her decision to build a career away from major public platforms fits with the broader pattern of her adult life: staying connected to athletics, but in a role that does not draw the same level of attention her father and siblings have received.
Marriage to Robert Banfill and Becoming a Mother
In 2014, Alexis Rodman married Robert Banfill in California. The marriage marked a significant and largely private milestone in her life, one that she chose to keep away from major media coverage, in keeping with her general approach to her personal affairs.
In 2017, Alexis and Robert welcomed a son named Vincent, making Dennis Rodman a grandfather for the first time. Dennis publicly celebrated the news on social media at the time, writing that he could not believe he had become a grandfather and congratulating his daughter and her husband on the birth of their first child. The moment was notable not only as a family milestone but also as one of the more visible instances of Dennis Rodman speaking warmly and directly about his relationship with Alexis.
Since then, Alexis has continued to raise her son while maintaining a private family life, largely out of public view. Her role as a mother represents a new chapter in her story, one that stands in contrast to the more turbulent circumstances of her own childhood.
Life Away From the Spotlight
One of the most consistent aspects of Alexis Rodman’s adult life has been her deliberate distance from public attention. While her father remains one of the most recognizable figures in NBA history, and her half-sister Trinity has become a major name in professional soccer, Alexis has not pursued a public-facing career or a significant media presence.
She does not maintain a highly visible social media profile, and she rarely grants interviews or participates in public events tied to her family’s fame. Instead, her public appearances have largely been limited to family occasions, including events where she has appeared alongside her father. This includes public sightings such as her attendance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim events in Miami, where she was photographed with Dennis Rodman.
Her preference for privacy has made her a somewhat elusive figure compared to other members of the Rodman family, even as public curiosity about her life, age, and family connections continues to draw attention, particularly whenever news involving her father or siblings resurfaces.
Conclusion
Alexis Rodman’s story is defined less by fame and more by the choices she has made to stay away from it. Born on September 28, 1988, to Dennis Rodman and Annie Bakes, she experienced a childhood shaped by her parents’ brief and turbulent marriage, which ended after just 82 days in 1992. Her relationship with her father moved through periods of distance and reconnection, eventually stabilizing as she grew into adulthood.
Today, Alexis is known primarily as a swim coach, a wife to Robert Banfill, and a mother to her son Vincent, born in 2017. She shares a family bond with her half-siblings, DJ and Trinity Rodman, even though their public paths have diverged significantly from her own. Ultimately, her life reflects a deliberate choice to prioritize privacy and stability over the spotlight that has followed her father and siblings throughout their careers.
FAQs
Who is Alexis Rodman?
Alexis Rodman is the eldest child of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and his first wife, Annie Bakes. She has largely stayed out of the public eye compared to other members of her family.
When was Alexis Rodman born?
She was born on September 28, 1988, in Los Angeles, California.
Who are Alexis Rodman’s parents?
Her father is Dennis Rodman, and her mother is Annie Bakes, a former model and author. The couple married in 1992 and divorced after 82 days.
Does Alexis Rodman have siblings?
Yes, she has two younger half-siblings from her father’s later relationships: DJ Rodman, born April 25, 2001, and Trinity Rodman, born in 2002.
Is Alexis Rodman married, and does she have children?
Yes, she married Robert Banfill in 2014, and the couple had a son named Vincent in 2017, making Dennis Rodman a grandfather.
