Rodman takes NBA cast to North Korea
Former Bulls power forward hopeful that exhibition match against local team will ease tensions Five players travelled with Rodman on his flight to Pyongyang yesterday, while another is expected today, one of the trip’s organisers said, without giving deta
Former basketball star Dennis Rodman arrived in Pyongyang yesterday with a group of former NBA players, after saying he will not raise concerns about repression in North Korea because leader Kim Jong- un is his friend and he loves him.
The eccentric ex- Chicago Bulls player is leading a team including retired NBA AllStars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker for an exhibition game against North Korea, which is being held tomorrow to mark Kim’s birthday.
Rodman told reporters at Beijing airport that he hoped the contest could “open the doors” to “talk about certain things”.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as it is officially known, has in the past been hit by famine, sometimes threatens war against South Korea and the US, and is regularly accused of human rights abuses.
Unlikely friendship
The heavily tattooed Rodman has developed an unlikely relationship with the North Korean leader since making his first trip there last February, when he declared Kim a “friend for life”.
Former NBA players Doug Christie, Craig Hodges and Charles D. Smith are also in Rodman’s side for the exhibition game.
Five players travelled with Rodman on his flight to Pyongyang yesterday, while another is expected today, one of the trip’s organisers told AFP, without giving details.
Rodman, who once dated Madonna and was married to model and actress Carmen Electra, is known as much for his piercings, ever- changing hair colours and off- court antics as his court skills.
The flamboyant ex- power forward has chosen an eclectic group of former NBA players to join him in North Korea.
Baker was a four- time AllStar whose career was marred by bouts of depression and alcoholism. Anderson is reported to have fathered at least seven children by five women. Both Anderson and Robinson have appeared on US reality television shows.
Hodges attracted controversy when he became associated with the Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan. He once unsuccessfully tried to sue the NBA after claiming he was discriminated against because of his outspoken views.
The young Kim, who was educated in Switzerland, is reported to be a keen basketball fan and especially of the Chicago Bulls, for whom Rodman played a key role in winning three NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan in the 1990s.
Rodman, who is making his fourth visit to Pyongyang, made his last trip shortly before Christmas, when he trained North Korean players.