When North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un invited NBA legend Dennis Rodman over for dinner, the ex-hoopster had no idea that things would turn into a wild party involving vodka and "hotties."
It was the first time the two had met and Rodman admitted in a HotBoxin' with Mike Tyson podcast that he did not know who Kim was at the time. The Hall of Famer was on a trip to Pyongyang in 2013 with other members of the Harlem Globetrotters when Kim approached him after a basketball game, according to the New York Post.
"He asked, 'You like my country?' and I said 'yeah, it's fine, it's cool, it's OK,'" Rodman recalled. The two bonded over their shared love of basketball and that was when Kim invited Rodman to his home.
"Let's have dinner tonight. A little karaoke and have some vodka, some hotties and stuff like that," the North Korean dictator told Rodman.
"Next thing I know, we are having dinner and we are drunk as s***, he starts singing karaoke and I have no clue what the f*** he's talking about."
Rodman also recalled an 18-piece band of "hot" women playing the one song they had managed to master — the theme song from the TV show "Dallas." He put in a few requests and the band learned to play them when he next visited.
The friendship between the pair has sparked controversy over the years, but Rodman is quick to defend Kim.
"The one thing I would say about him is that his heart is very much in the right place. It's easy for people to criticize him but he was willing to do it," Rodman previously stated in an interview, according to the South China Morning Post.
"He was able to show to millions of people in North Korea that it is possible for interaction with foreigners to take place, that it is possible for an unconventional character like him to make some connection to their leader. These are things which didn't exist before."
Despite Rodman's praise, North Korea is known for human rights abuses that include torturing and killing opponents.
Human Rights Watch issued a report in 2018 that said, in part, "The government restricts all civil and political liberties for its citizens, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion. It prohibits all organized political opposition, independent media, civil society, and trade unions. The government routinely uses arbitrary arrest and punishment of crimes, torture in custody, forced labor, and executions to maintain fear and control."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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