The former NBA star Dennis Rodman has pulled some of the wildest stunts in the history of professional sports. From his ever-changing hair color to his flirtations with cross-dressing, not to mention his proclivity for violence on court, Rodman has a reputation for being a "bad boy" who is never out of the media's sights.
But Rodman's trip to North Korea this week with the Harlem Globetrotters seems particularly bizarre even for him. The mission was ostensibly "basketball diplomacy" – but given that the term was coined by staffers from Vice, who filmed the trip for a HBO documentary, the tour appears to have functioned mostly as another self-serving media spectacle for Rodman.
From the moment he stepped off the plane in Pyongyang, Rodman has been mobbed by North Korean reporters. Asked about the purpose of the trip, he replied: "We just got invited and we're hopeful that we'll have some fun."
According to tweets from Rodman and the Vice crew, the trip was indeed fun, being capped by a lavish dinner party at Kim Jong Un's home.
Vice's Jason Mojica bragged:
Um... so Kim Jong Un just got the #VICEonHBO crew wasted... no really, that happened.
— Jason Mojica (@elmodernisto) February 28, 2013
Rodman loved the attenton:
They love basketball here. Honored to represent The United States of America. #WORMinNorthKorea
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) February 26, 2013
A lot has been written about the trip, but what's missing from media reports is the actual basketball camp that Rodman and company intended to put on for North Korean children. While the camp itself (which is briefly mentioned on the Globetrotters website) functioned as a peg for many headlines, it has been obscured by criticism aimed at Rodman for fraternizing with Kim Jong Un.
Dennis Rodman's new pal, #NorthKorea's dictator, sends 3 generations of prisoners' families to die in concentration camps. Wake up Rodman!
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) March 1, 2013
Gawker, for example, juxtaposed the rampant starvation in North Korea with the "epic feast" Rodman enjoyed at Kim Jong Un's dinner.
Still, Rodman maintained that the trip was an unbridled success, and called Kim Jong Un a "friend for life" before departing.
In New York on Monday, Rodman plans to "clear the air" about his trip.
Back in the USA today! Mon in NYC I will tell what is true and not true of what you have heard and read. Love you all.
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) March 1, 2013
We can't wait.
