Dennis Rodman Reportedly Heading to North Korea
NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is reportedly traveling to North Korea and will arrive in the country Tuesday, CNN's Joshua Berlinger, Elise Labott and Nicole Gaouette reported Monday.
Rodman visited North Korea in January 2014, participating in an exhibition basketball game in the nation's capital, Pyongyang. As part of the occasion, Rodman sang "Happy Birthday" to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In November 2013, Rodman said he hoped to help improve diplomatic ties between North Korea and the United States through his visits to the country.
"They need money. I'm not doing it for the money," he said of the 2014 exhibition, per the Guardian. "I'm doing it to open a gap between North Korea and the world. And North Korea has a lot to offer. They want to branch out."
Rodman told ESPN.com's Mark Schwartz in March 2014 that he was considering not returning to North Korea as a result of the public criticism of his visit.
"At least someone tried. So that's how I look at it," he said. "You know, I don't want to be a hero, I don't want to be this, I don't want to be that. I just wanted to be—just do happy things and do great things in life. That's all I wanted to do. That's it."
In recent years, Rodman has built a relationship with Kim, who's a basketball fan and followed the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty in which Rodman played a part. The 56-year-old was a member of the Bulls for three seasons between 1996 and 1998.
