HoopsHype.com Rumors

Rodman told celebrity website TMZ that he is returning to the communist country to try to free Korean American Kenneth Bae. Rodman admitted, "It's gonna be difficult." Rodman had angry words for Obama. "We got a black president (who) can't even go talk to (Kim)," Rodman told TMZ. "Obama can't do s**t, I don't know why he won't go talk to him." newsmax.com

Dennis Rodman, Barack Obama, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

NBA-icon-turned-diplomat Dennis Rodman has asked Kim Jong Un to 'do me a solid' and release American prisoner Kenneth Bae. 'I'm calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him 'Kim', to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,' Rodman tweeted on Tuesday. Bae, a devout Christian who worked as a tour operator near the China-North Korea border, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour earlier this month for undisclosed 'hostile acts' against the hermit kingdom. BigPond News

Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Bryant discussed his daughter's competitive nature ("We can't compete ... on who falls asleep first; we have no way of keeping track"), the Lakers' improving defense ("It's about time we started playing some kind of defense"), getting old ("I have to do a lot to make sure my body's recovered") and more. He was charming and smooth, as always. Kimmel even got a nice burn on Bryant, after asking him whether he would visit North Korea for diplomatic relations, a la former Lakers teammate Dennis Rodman. "I think I would pass," Bryant said. "Oh, for once, you're passing," Kimmel said. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Dennis Rodman's friendship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is getting lampooned in the most fitting of ways via YouTube. Rodman teams up with the dictator in a bizarro version of the beloved video game NBA Jam. The results are ... supreme. USA Today Sports

Videogames, Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Basketball Hall of Fame forward Dennis Rodman took a lot of heat recently for meeting with controversial North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban saw no problem with the two meeting. "Actually I think it’ll help,'' Cuban said before Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets. "When you've got somebody talking about something other than globally nuclear destruction, that's a step in the right direction because you know there's a topic you can have a conversation about that isn’t thinking about something else. "Just like any argument, when you calm it down by switching subjects, that’s a good thing.'''' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Cuban isn't sure if anything of substance will become of the meeting between Rodman and Kim. But the fact that Kim is a huge basketball fan apparently says that he can at least relate to Rodman. "Who knows if it has any staying power, but it's certainly not a negative,'' Cuban said. "When I think of world peace I think of Rodman.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

The White House says North Korea's government should be focused on the well-being of its citizens, not on "celebrity sporting events" to entertain the country's elite. White House spokesman Jay Carney made the comments in response to a question about ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman's recent visit to North Korea. Rodman watched a basketball game with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. ESPN.com

Dennis Rodman, Barack Obama, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Upon his return to the U.S., Rodman said Kim wants President Barack Obama to call him. Carney says the U.S. already has direct channels of communication to North Korea's government and those are the channels it will continue to use. "He loves basketball. ... I said Obama loves basketball. Let's start there" as a way to warm up relations between U.S. and North Korea, Rodman told ABC's "This Week." "He asked me to give Obama something to say and do one thing. He wants Obama to do one thing, call him," said Rodman, who called the authoritarian leader an "awesome guy" during his trip. The State Department criticized North Korea last week for "wining and dining" Rodman while its own people go hungry. Rodman also said Kim told him, "I don't want to do war. I don't want to do war." ESPN.com

Dennis Rodman, Barack Obama, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Dennis Rodman, North Korea's most famous recent visitor, brought back a message from dictator Kim Jong Un to President Obama. Call me. "He wants Obama to do one thing -- call him," Rodman said during an interview on ABC's This Week about the former basketball star's recent visit to North Korea. Don't expect Obama and Kim to become phone buddies any time soon. USA Today Sports

Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Rodman, who spent two days with Kim, told ABC he bonded with the North Korean over their mutual love of basketball. "I love him," Rodman said. "The guy's awesome. He was so honest." Rodman dodged repeated questions from This Week host George Stephanopoulos about North Korea's poor human rights records, including political prison camps and threats to attack the United States. At one point, Rodman said, "this is all politics, right?" and attributed many of North Korea's problems to Kim's youth and the legacy of his father. Kim "loves power," Rodman said. "He loves control." USA Today Sports

Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un 

Rodman claims Kim is a human being, “a good guy” and a victim of the environment he grew up in. So excuse the repression, the mass starvation and the hundreds of thousands kept in gulags? Rodman also chose his finest dollar bill jacket and yellow track pants for the occasion. The Big Lead

Dennis Rodman, North Korea, Kim Jong Un