Rodman hails North Korea visit as a ‘good trip’

BEIJING: Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman landed in Beijing Saturday after a visit to North Korea, describing the escapade as a “real good trip”.

Sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses, green nail polish and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of sponsor PotCoin – a cryptocurrency for the legal cannabis industry – Rodman declined to comment further as he was swarmed at the Beijing airport by journalists.

He had arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, saying that he wanted to “open the door” to the regime and claiming that US President Donald Trump would be pleased with his mission.

“Dennis is working hard for both countries, trying to, you know, mend the tension as much as possible,” his assistant, who accompanied him and asked to be called “Vo,” told reporters.

“With sports that’s what happens, right? Sports unite, sports and music unite,” he added.

While in North Korea, Rodman was shown in video and photos presenting the isolated country’s sports minister Kim Il Guk with off-the-wall gifts that included a copy of Trump’s book ‘The Art of the Deal’, soap, two autographed jerseys and a copy of “Where’s Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection.”

Trump was Rodman’s boss when he appeared on the ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ reality TV show.

This is at least the fifth trip to North Korea for the heavily pierced and tattooed former basketball star.

In 2014 he attracted a deluge of criticism after being filmed in the country singing happy birthday to his “friend for life”, leader Kim Jong-Un. — AFP