The basketballer and the dictator
Eccentric American basketballer Dennis Rodman has revealed details of the big night that started his surprising friendship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
Rodman struck up an unlikely relationship with Kim Jong-un when touring North Korea with the Harlem Globetrotters in 2013.
The former Chicago Bulls star has visited Kim Jong-un five times, clearly impressed with their opening night that involved vodka, women and karaoke.
Rodman joined boxing great Mike Tyson on the former world heavyweight champion’s HotBoxin’ podcast this week, and it didn’t take long for Kim Jong-un to be raised and Rodman obliged.
‘‘He asked, ‘You like my country?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, it’s fine, it’s cool, it’s OK’,’’ Rodman remembered of that first night.
‘‘[He said] Let’s have dinner tonight.
A little karaoke and have some vodka, some hotties and stuff like that,’’ Rodman remembered of that first night.
‘‘Next thing I know, we are having dinner and we are drunk as s***. He starts singing karaoke and I have no clue what the f*** he’s talking about.’’
Rodman chuckled as he remembered how Kim Jong-un then introduced an 18-piece band of ‘‘hot’’ women whose only number was the theme song from the old American hit TV-show Dallas.
Rodman suggested they learn some other songs from bands like Pearl Jam, Van Halen and Rolling Stones. The next time he visited North Korea, they had indeed learned some of those songs and played his requests.
Rodman said he never discussed politics with Kim Jong-un, only sport.