When it comes to NBA superstars, there is no enigma that looms as large as Dennis Rodman. The former Bulls and Pistons rebounding machine is a controversial and divisive figure who has been a regular headline-maker from his playing days.
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After making a name for himself as a defensive specialist in the NBA, Rodman rode his celebrity status on a wild ride. High-profile relationships, wacky hairstyles, and incredulous parties were the norm with The Worm.
Among the wildest stories surrounding Dennis Rodman, one particular topic of narration deserves special mention. The chapter of the forward’s life involves Kim Jong Un and North Korea.
Rodman was widely considered the “unofficial ambassador of the USA to North Korea” even. The Worm’s relationship with Kim Jong Un was widely documented and a subject of much curiosity.
Even diplomatic visits to North Korea became commonplace. The first of these visits, however, resulted in fear of arrest even, for the former NBA champion.
Why did Rodman fear an arrest on his first visit to North Korea?
Rodman and a few Harlem Globetrotters made the trip to Pyongyang in the mid-2000s. And according to The Worm’s best friend, Floyd Raglin, that was about the extent of information Rodman had regarding the trip.
“He had no idea who Kim Jong Un was. He just thought he was going to play basketball with the Globetrotters” recalls Raglin. Quite close to a worst-case scenario when it comes to being informed while heading into a dictator’s world.
And along the journey, it would appear Rodman figured out the seriousness of things. Naturally, fear crept into the former NBA champion. The Worm even decided to pass on the idea of playing basketball for the journey.
After being tucked into the Koryo Hotel, the finest accommodation possible in North Korea, a worried Rodman called his then-girlfriend, Gigi Peterson. The Worm informed Peterson of his decision not to play basketball. Soon after, in the late hours of the night, Rodman’s door was swarmed by a bevy of guards.
The guards in Rodman’s company were also armed at such a late hour. Naturally, piecing together the new information he had received about Kim Jong Un, Rodman was petrified.
Peterson narrated the night’s events to reveal shocking details of The Worm’s situation. “In the middle of the night, he got a knock at the door, and when he answered it, there were guards, and they were armed. His first thought was, Oh, fuck. I’m going to be arrested for not playing! But he was only being summoned to see little Kim.”
Rodman was clearly terrified by the armed guards. A meeting with Kim followed and an eventual friendship was formed. But the foundations of it were definitely terrifying.
Did Rodman develop a friendship with the North Korean dictator?
It would appear that the relationship did develop into quite a friendship. Rodman even declared, “You have a friend for life” to Kim Jong Un to much public ire.
Instances such as Rodman bowing to Kim and singing him “Happy Birthday” have also become public. Their controversial relationship has drawn considerable media traction. Rodman even appears to be defending or vouching for his friend in public.
Rodman is one of the few westerners to have been permitted to visit North Korea multiple times. The Worm enjoys quite the status in the dictator’s list of confidantes. Rodman still maintains his status as an informal diplomat to North Korea for this very reason.
As random as any piece of information one can find about Dennis Rodman on the internet, this. However it is defined, the story of this most unlikely friendship is extremely intriguing, to say the least.
Also Read: Dennis Rodman, Who Gambled Away $200,000, Tried To Out-Drink Kim Jong-Un In North Korea
