Dennis Rodman worms his way into North Korea
WATCH OUT, North Korea, we've sent over our ultimate weapon. No, we're not talking about nuclear missiles or drones. Nothing so ho-hum.
WATCH OUT, North Korea, we've sent over our ultimate weapon.
No, we're not talking about nuclear missiles or drones. Nothing so ho-hum.
We're talkin' ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman, the explosive rebound machine, who won five league titles in his 14-year career.
Rodman arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday along with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters and a TV crew from VICE media that is shooting a special for HBO.
"Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to [North Korea] strange? In a word, yes," said VICE founder Shane Smith. "But finding common ground on the basketball court is a beautiful thing."
Rodman and the Globbies hope to bring a bit of sports diplomacy to the country, which just 2 weeks ago upset the United States and the international community by conducting an underground nuclear test.
Rodman and friends will be conducting something far less gloomy - youth basketball camps. The group also hopes to lure North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, onto the court.
Kim, like his late father Kim Jong Il, is said to be a huge hoops fan.
It may take a while for the conservative citizens of North Korea to get used to the flamboyant Rodman, who has multiple piercings and tattoos.
Upon seeing a photo of the 51-year-old Rodman, one North Korean woman exclaimed: "He looks like a monster!"
Money player
Righthander Zack Greinke is nothing if not honest.
Asked if money played a role in his signing a 6-year, $147 million deal with the Dodgers in December, Greinke told CBSSports.com:
"It's obviously the No. 1 thing. I could play for the worst team if they paid the most . . . If the last-place team offers $200 million and the first-place team offers $10, I'm going to go for the $200 million no matter what team it was."