'He loves the theme songs to Rocky and Dallas so much a live band played the two tunes for four HOURS': Former NBA star Dennis Rodman says 'average Joe' Kim Jong-un 'doesn't want to bomb anyone'
Five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman recently revealed that he thinks that Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea , is 'just like anybody else' who loves American music, particularly theme songs for the 1976 movie Rocky (top right) and the 1980s TV series Dallas (bottom left). He also praised him for 'doing everything' for his people. The former basketball player has visited North Korea on multiple occasions (inset). But many say Rodman is ignoring both the country's human rights record and the despot's multiple threats to attack the US.
[h=1]'He loves the theme songs to Rocky and Dallas so much a live band played the two tunes for four HOURS': Former NBA star Dennis Rodman says karaoke-loving 'average Joe' Kim Jong-un 'doesn't want to bomb anyone'[/h]
Dennis Rodman says that Kim Jong-un told him 'I don't want to bomb anyone'
The former NBA star said the North Korean leader liked American music, particularly the theme song to the 1976 movie Rocky and TV series Dallas
Rodman also praised how the leader was 'doing everything' for his people
The former NBA All-Star has a special connection to the country having visited six times since 2013
This is despite multiple reports of 'crimes against humanity' in North Korea as well as the country's multiple threats to bomb the US
Kim Jong-un loves the theme song to the movie Rocky and TV series Dallas, plays table tennis and enjoys karaoke, according to his pal Dennis Rodman. In an interview with DuJour Magazine, the former NBA star says that his friend is misunderstood by both the mainstream media and the public and is 'just like anybody else'. And despite Kim's constant threats to attack the US, Rodman claims the North Korean leader told him: 'I don't want to bomb anyone.' Rodman said of Kim: 'He jokes and loves playing basketball, table tennis, pool. They love American '80s music. They do karaoke. 'He has this 13-piece girls' band with violins...He loves The Doors and Jimi Hendrix... When I first went, the live band only played two songs for four hours: the theme songs from Rocky and Dallas.'
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has called North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un 'just like anybody else' in a startling new interview (Rodman, far right, and Kim, third from right, chat while watching an exhibition basketball game between American and North Korean players in North Korea in 2014)
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Rodman has visited North Korea six times since 2013 and has called the country's leader 'a friend for life'. In a recent interview, he praised Kim for 'doing everything' for his people (Kim, left, pictured inspecting the Korean People's Army in October 2015, and Rodman, right, pictured attending a basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers in November 2016)
Of Kim's nuclear plans, Rodman says: 'He's saying the reason why they have the nuclear bombs is because they know that Americans think they can take over. 'He says, "I don't want to bomb anyone. But we keep our nuclear weapons because we're such a small country - that's the only way we can defend ourselves". 'They just want people in America and the government to know they don't hate Americans. They want to work with Americans.'
Rodman has had a very unique relationship with North Korea for years, ever since Kim - who is reportedly obsessed with the team the Chicago Bulls - wanted to meet the former member. Rodman has visited the country six times since 2013 and appears to be very close with Kim, who holds the title of Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). He even revealed: 'No one's ever held his baby before but me.'
Rodman described an experience of an event in North Korea where a live band played for Kim just two songs - the theme to the 1980s TV series Dallas (left) and the theme to the 1976 movie Rocky (right) - for four hours straight
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'He jokes and loves playing basketball, table tennis, pool. They love American '80s music. They do karaoke,' Rodman said of Kim (Rodman, far left, and Kim, far right, at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in January 2014 for an exhibition basketball game)
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Rodman also revealed that Kim loves American music, particularly The Doors and Jimi Hendrix (Rodman and Kim pose with other basketball players at an exhibition basketball game to celebrate Kim's birthday in January 2014)
The Hall of Famer also praised the country's 'improvements' stating that Kim is a true innovator. 'It’s funny, because when I first went there it was so…Communist,' Rodman said. 'Dry and dreary and like, I don’t know. Everything is so dead. 'But the third time I went there, wow. [Pyongyang] changed a lot. New buildings were popping up and [Kim] is building all these new condos and hotels. 'He built the largest water park in the world, a ski resort and this big bowling alley. He’s doing everything for these people. You could go bowl for a quarter all day or go swimming all day for like 50 cents.'
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Rodman's relationship with Kim began when the North Korean leader, who is obsessed with basketball team the Chicago Bulls, wanted to meet a former player. Rodman played with the Chicago Bulls from 1995 to 1998 (Rodman pictured here in 1989, celebrating during a game with his first team the Detroit Pistons - with whom he played from 1985 to 1993)
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Despite Rodman's human portrayal of Kim, many have cast doubt on the claims due to the multiple reports that have been released of the despot's cruel and unusual punishments (Kim inspects the command of Korean People's Army in this undated photo)
Despite this human portrayal of Kim, many can't help but wonder how true it is, especially given reports of the despot's cruel and unusual punishments. In 2013, Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Song-thaek, was accused of being a counter-revolutionary, and was arrested and executed firing squad style. It was a dramatic fall for a man who was once considered Kim's top adviser. Such brutal purges of top officials have been a key strategy the leadership uses to keep a handle on power. Satellite-images have also discovered North Korean's prison-camp system - where as many as 120,000 men, women and children are held. Prisoners are often subjected to forced labor, torture, starvation, rape and death - although Pyongyang denies that the camps even exist. The most recent worry has arisen over North Korea's faithfulness to its nuclear arms program. Several weapons continue to be developed with the eventual goal of a missile powerful enough to reach the US.
