Eccentric former basketballer Dennis Rodman may not have brought imprisoned American Kenneth Bae back with him from North Korea, but he did return to announce he is writing a book with Kim Jong Un
After his second visit to the repressive country, Rodman sung the virtues of dictator Kim Jong Un, calling him a “good guy,” adding, “this kid doesn’t want war. He doesn’t want war.”
Rodman says he has been asked to return to North Korea to train an Olympic basketball team – and he and Kim are going to co-author a book together.
He said in a press conference in New York this morning, “Sports bring people together. That’s what the Marshal of North Korea wants, he hopes sports bring us together, bridge that gap…. But what I’m saying is sports is the number one thing in the world that keeps people together.”
Rodman continued, “They said Dennis we’d love you to do one thing for us. For the next Olympics can you train our Olympic team to compete at the Olympics for the next three years. ‘I’m like, okay. Okay, I will.’He gave me the invitation for the next three years to train whoever I want.” And of his book with Kim, “It’s gonna be a best seller. He gave me the rights for me and him to sit down for one month and me and him are gonna write a book together.
“I wish all the other people in the government and in this country would understand that this is not something that is going to interfere with our lives at all. Its about trying to breach a gap to a country that people say is so bad. This country’s not bad. The Marshal [told me] ‘You write what you hear’. If you meet the Marshal, he’s a very good guy. He has to do his job but he’s a very good guy. He gave me the rights and everything about doing one thing: he said, ‘Dennis, i want you to go over to America and guess what, we want people to come over here because we’re not a bad country.”
“People think this is a gimmick. I would love to make this a gimmick and make a shit ton of money, a shitload of money. But its not about the money, its about trying to open Obama’s and everyone’s mind. Guess what, we don’t have to talk about politics. Talk about anything in the world. Meet him in Switzerland, meet him in London, meet him in Ireland, meet him or even give him a call. That’s all he wants. For me to go over there and make this happen, it says a lot.”
Rodman also rambled on about President Obama, saying, “We got Obama doing one thing right now. I’m sorry Obama, you’re gonna read this… but guess what now? Syria, really? I’ve been honest. This guy just wants to have a conversation with you, that’s it. So why Obama are you afraid to talk to Dennis Rodman? You’re not afraid to talk to Beyonce and Jay Z. Why not me? Why not me? I’m pretty important now, right? Let’s go there now Obama. Talk to me, I’m right here. One thing, I have the inside track on what you want to do. This is not 1953, this is 2013. It’s a new era.”
When asked about atrocities carried out against people in North Korea, Rodman answered, “I’ve said this to him: ‘Your grandfather and your father did some bad things. I said, but you are trying to change things. Just because you see him on TV doing this, you never hear him talk. You always see him doing things like his grandfather and father but I go over there and say something cool to him…In Guanamantana (sic) what are we doing over here? Really? Let’s go over there and check those people out. Ask Obama about that. Can you ask Obama that? Why we doing that over there? Can you ask Obama that.”
Getting angry, Rodman added, “Come talk to me. It’s amazing he can talk up all these entertainers around the world…guess what, I’m doing some groundbreaking things. I’ve seen things, I know things that you want to know. Obama, guess what? I don’t hate your guts. Hillary, I love you, Bill Clinton, I love you. Come talk to me, I know things.”