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NBA legend Dennis Rodman arguably has one of the biggest flex in the sports world befriending the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un. At a time when relations between the U.S. and North Korea were at an all-time low, Rodman visited North Korea. While there was very little information about Kim, the four-time NBA champion was able to form a relationship with him. It was a shocker for the whole country. Reportedly, Jong-un is a big fan of the Chicago Bulls team in the 90s which understandably helped.

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The Worm initially visited the country for an exhibition game with a team of former Harlem Globetrotters. They made the trip after an invitation from the country’s national Olympic Committee.

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Dennis Rodman can sing

Dennis Rodman and his team of veteran basketball players visiting North Korea did not sit well with a lot of people. There were reports suggesting the exhibition game was scheduled as a birthday present to Kim Jong-un. The two-time DPOY received huge backlash for this. Furthermore, a video of the Bulls legend singing a birthday song for the North Korean leader in an arena filled with people was leaked and went viral. Interestingly, that was not the only instance when Rodman sang for Kim.

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Rodman has reportedly spent a lot of time with Jong-un during his multiple visits to the country. According to reports from Sports Illustrated, “At a private dinner reception, Rodman even serenaded the Supreme Leader with Sinatra’s “My Way.” Afterward, the Worm said of Kim, “guy’s really awesome” and a “friend for life.””

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The 11-time Grammy award-winning Frank Sinatra’s song My Way is one of the most iconic songs ever. Rodman dedicating the song to Kim is interesting.

Even when he received backlash for his visit to North Korea, Rodman claimed it would create new avenues for the two countries. He even claimed Kim Jong-un just wants to speak with then-President Barack Obama about basketball. Notably, Obama was a huge fan of the Bulls as well. However, the former President did not accept the request.

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Rodman’s praise for Kim Jong-un

Then in 2018, the U.S. and North Korea had a historic summit. Dennis Rodman appeared on TV and reminded everyone about his promise. An emotional Rodman revealed that he received death threats after his visit to North Korea. However, he was happy about the summit.

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The Worm has always spoken highly about Kim Jong-un over the years even though the leader was not the most loved in the U.S. The Hall of Famer was once even kicked out of a bar in New York for singing the praises of Kim.

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Written by

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Bagavathi Eswaran

1,520 Articles

Bagavathi Eswaran is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, having a strong passion for the sport since the age of ten. As a former college player, Bagavathi has been following the NBA for more than a decade and has found his calling in writing about the sport. He has used his expertise in covering the NBA, as well as other arenas of the sport, to write more than 1400 articles at ES. Bagavathi's pieces on the increasingly dominant presence of European basketball and those following the journey of women-ballers are particularly noteworthy. Along with being a full-time writer, he is also a part of a group of young coaches groomed as trainers by Junior NBA. Bagavathi has trained players from schools and colleges, as well as underprivileged students who can attend the camps for free.

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