?We Have to Go Back to America and Take the Abuse?: NBA Legend Dennis Rodman Seemed Adamant to Draw Bridges Between US and DPRK in Emotional Outburst on Live TV

NBA legend Dennis Rodman has been to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) a few times now. He has been seen multiple times around Kim Jong-un, Supreme Leader of North Korea. Rodman has gone there with a team of American basketball players to play in exhibition games. In 2014, Rodman and the team appeared on Live TV from North Korea to talk about the trip. Former #3 overall pick, Charles Smith was also part of the team. And he proceeded to speak first during the Live interview on CNN.

Smith said that they received an invitation letter from the DPRK Olympic Committee for the exhibition game, which they accepted and traveled to North Korea. Smith said that he, Rodman, or anyone on the team was not there to speak to anyone in the leadership about anything. He further added that they traveled to North Korea only to play basketball and to entertain the people.

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The visit was during the time when Kenneth Bae was held captive in the country

Dennis Rodman wanted new opportunities to open up

Meanwhile, there were allegations that the basketball game was a birthday present to Kim Jong-un. When the interviewer, Chris Cuomo asked about it, Smith denied it. He claimed they went there to use basketball as a cultural exchange and to connect with the people.

Cuomo then asked Dennis Rodman whether he would take the opportunity to talk with Kim Jong-un about Kenneth Bae. In response, Rodman asked him whether he knows the reason for Bae’s arrest. The interviewer said he does not and asked him for the reason. The seven-time NBA rebounding champion replied that he can’t get into the details and there are 10 guys on the team that loves their families.

To put it in Rodman’s words, “We are the guys here doing one thing. We have to go back to America and take the abuse. Do you have to take the abuse? We are gonna take it.”

“But guess what though? One day, one day, this door’s gonna open!” he added. The conversation soon turned pretty heated.

Rodman was adamant that basketball can open new opportunities for harmony between the two countries. And he still wanted to do it even though he and the team could garner abuse for doing it.

Later on, in 2018, former president Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un had a historic summit. And Rodman again appeared on Live TV on CNN with Chris Cuomo. The 5-time champion reminded the interviewer about the time he had said that his travel to North Korea could “open doors.” Cuomo admitted Rodman saying that during the interview.

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The former Defensive Player of the Year was very emotional during the interview. And wept while speaking about the death threats he received after coming back to the country from North Korea.