Kim Jong-un has a passion for basketball and is friends with Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman landed in Singapore before President Donald Trump's historic summit with Kim Jong Un. Rodman has served as a sort of informal basketball envoy to North Korea. The White House vehemently denied last week that Rodman has any official role in the summit, but Rodman told reporters on Monday that he is "just happy to be a part of it because I think I deserve it." The retired NBA Hall-of-Famer said to reporters at the airport that he is unsure whether he will meet with his friend Kim. When questioned about summit expectations, Rodman adopted a cautiously upbeat tone, responding, "It should go quite well, but people shouldn't anticipate so much for the first time." Rodman was one of just a handful of westerners to have ever met with Kim, who had publicly expressed hostility against western countries, including the United States, prior to then-CIA Director and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's unexpected April encounter with the North Korean leader.
Kim, who assumed leadership after the passing of his father in 2011, is an avid basketball enthusiast who has a soft spot for the Chicago Bulls. Rodman, who played for the Bulls during Michael Jordan's legendary era, was also a part of the team. For the two's initial encounter in March 2013, Kim welcomed Rodman to Pyongyang, the nation's capital of the isolated totalitarian regime. In order to meet the reclusive leader, Rodman, a five-time NBA champion, traveled with three Harlem Globetrotters players and a team of Vice journalists. Human rights advocates slammed the basketball player for saying to Kim, "You have a buddy for life," as he was seen hugging Kim.
The unexpected bond between the two people continued to grow, and the basketball player visited North Korea on several occasions, frequently with the help of other basketball players, to spend time with Kim. When he memorably sang "Happy Birthday" to Kim on the basketball court and seemed to bow to the North Korean leader during his visit in January 2014, Rodman courted controversy once more.
