TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Eccentric Basketball player, Dennis Rodman, said that he would never hate Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader. "He is my friend and I love him," said Rodman to the press in Beijing, Monday, January 7, 2014, as quoted by The Telegraph. Rodman was in Beijing on his way to Pyongyang, North Korea. He, along with other former National Basketball Association (NBA) players, will play in a friendly exhibition match against the North Korean basketball team next Wednesday. The match is held in honor of Jong-un's birthday.
Rodman first visited Jong-un on February of last year. At the time, he kept referring that the third generation leader of North Korea (Jong-un) as his friend. "He is my friend for life," says Rodman. He is nonchalant about Jong-un being reported as an authoritative figure in his country. The latest news says that Jong-un executed his own uncle by feeding him alive to a pack of hungry dogs. "I don't care about that," he said.
Not many people consider Jong-un as a friend, particularly Americans. Rodman has visited Pyongyang four times. The former Chicago Bulls player is nonchalant about the controversy surrounding his visit. He considers it as a new form of diplomacy between the West and North Korea.
Kim Jong-un is known to love basketball. He claims that he is a Chicago Bulls fan since his college days in Switzerland. This is one of the reasons why he became friends with Rodman.
TELEGRAPH | ANDI PERDANA
