Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is in North Korea to lead a group of NBA veterans in an exhibition match for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday. In what Rodman calls “basketball diplomacy,” he dedicated the game to his “best friend” at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
In a controversial video that’s just been released, Rodman is seen bowing in front of the dictator before singing “Happy Birthday” to the “Supreme Leader.” The crowd of 14,000 people began to clap loudly along to the song as Rodman sang the verse.
After the song, the group of NBA veterans played a North Korean squad in a game Rodman calls “historic.” The North Koreans outscored the NBA group 47-39 before teams where split up and mixed in the second half. Rodman only played in the first half, before joining Kim Jong Un in the stands for the second half.
“A lot of people have expressed different views about me and your leader, your marshal, and I take that as a compliment,” Rodman told the crowd North Koreans. “Yes, he is a great leader, he provides for his people here in this country and thank God the people here love the marshal.”
Rodman is the only Westerner to have any direct contact with the isolated dictator and is being slammed for not using his influence to help release American citizen Kenneth Bae. The 52-year-old basketball player claims he is not a statesman and refuses to get involved in any overtly political activities. Instead, Rodman insists that he is using the sport of basketball to help build cultural relations between North Korea and the West.
The NBA veterans that accompanied Rodman on his fourth trip to North Korea include Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson, Vin Baker, Craig Hodges, Doug Christie and Charles D. Smith.
