LOS ANGELES \u2013 Basketballer Dennis Rodman had no idea, on his first trip to North Korea, that he\u2019d be talking international diplomacy with Kim Jong\u2026<\/b>
\nLOS ANGELES \u2013 Basketballer Dennis Rodman had no idea, on his first trip to North Korea, that he\u2019d be talking international diplomacy with Kim Jong-un.
He thought it was just another autograph-signing paycheck.
\u201cAnd this is the funny part. I said yes because \u2014 this is funny \u2014 because I thought it was another paying gig,\u201d Rodman confessed Saturday at the Politicon conference in Los Angeles.
Rodman remains the one individual in the center of a Venn diagram between President Trump \u2014 who he appeared with on \u201cCelebrity Apprentice\u201d \u2014 and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he befriended in his handful of trips.
He continues to take credit for the two leaders meeting in Singapore in June.
\u201cI\u2019m not really deep into politics, but I love to create politics. Like the North Korea thing. I created that,\u201d Rodman said Saturday.
Though during a Q&A on Saturday, Rodman suggested he created the Trump-Un bromance by accident.
Rodman said that he didn\u2019t know anything about the Hermit Kingdom when he agreed to a trip in March 2013. Rodman said the North Koreans had called the front office of the Chicago Bulls and asked that Michael Jordan visit.
\u201cAnd Michael said, \u2018Hell no,\u2019\u201d Rodman recalled.
Rodman\u2019s name was then floated as a secondary option. Rodman said he signed on because he thought it was a publicity trip where he would be taking pictures, signing autographs and kissing babies.
Rodman said he also wasn\u2019t familiar with Kim. \u201cI had never seen a picture of him at all,\u201d he said. When Kim arrived at a basketball-themed event, Rodman was miffed at the people\u2019s reaction to the arrival of their leader.
\u201cNext thing you know, 20,000 people stood up and clapped. And I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s for me,\u201d Rodman said.
\u201cI look over to my left. It\u2019s a short guy,\u201d Rodman recalled, saying one of the North Koreans explained to him that Kim was the \u201csupreme leader.\u201d
Rodman was still left scratching his head. \u201cWho is this guy? Is he the president or something? [Eventually] it started hitting me who this guy is,\u201d Rodman said.
Rodman described Kim as \u201cfunny as hell,\u201d though he said he didn\u2019t speak English.
\u201cHe loves basketball. We played a game\u2026 we\u2019d water ski, jet ski, snowboard. We\u2019d do everything.\u201d
Would the \u201csupreme leader\u201d wear his \u201csuit,\u201d asked the forum\u2019s moderator Toure.
\u201cNot in the suit,\u201d Rodman replied. \u201cNo, he has shorts, t-shirts, stuff like that.\u201d
The basketball star also divulged Kim\u2019s other favorite hobbies.
\u201cHe watched a lot of movies. He played Donkey Kong, Pac-Man. He plays a lot of cool things. Old games though,\u201d Rodman said.
Throughout the interview, Rodman kept himself at an arm\u2019s length from both Kim \u2014 and Trump\u2019s \u2014 policies.
\u201cMy whole purpose\u2026 I\u2019m not there for politics,\u201d he said of his North Korea trips. \u201cDo you get that? I\u2019m there for sports. Trying to connect two countries together in sports.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m not over there trying to ask the guys don\u2019t chop his head off, don\u2019t shoot your brother or sister,\u201d Rodman added.
Repeating the bouts of emotion he showed during his Singapore sit-down with CNN\u2019s Chris Cuomo, Rodman briefly choked up when talking about Otto Warmbier, the American who died at North Korea\u2019s hands.
\u201cThey blamed me because he died,\u201d Rodman said.
As for Trump, Rodman defended him, though wouldn\u2019t sign on to his agenda.
\u201cEveryone thinks Donald Trump is racist; I don\u2019t think so,\u201d Rodman said. \u201cI support Donald Trump as a friend, and what he does as president, I can\u2019t control that.\u201d<\/p>\n