Rodman leaves N. Korea, calls Kim "awesome guy"

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. / AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon

PYONGYANG, North Korea Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders."

Play Video

Dennis Rodman hangs out in North Korea

19 Photos

Dennis Rodman travels to North Korea

Rodman, the highest-profile American to meet Kim since he inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011, watched a basketball game with the authoritarian leader Thursday and later drank and dined on sushi with him.

At Pyongyang's Sunan airport on his way to Beijing, Rodman said it was "amazing" that the North Koreans were "so honest." He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, "were great leaders."

"He's proud, his country likes him — not like him, love him, love him," Rodman said of Kim Jong Un. "Guess what, I love him. The guy's really awesome."

At Beijing's airport, Rodman pushed past waiting journalists without saying anything.

Rodman's visit to North Korea began Monday and took place amid tension between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test just two weeks ago, making clear the provocative act was a warning to the United States to drop what it considers a "hostile" policy toward the North.

Rodman traveled to Pyongyang with three members of the professional Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, VICE correspondent Ryan Duffy and a production crew to shoot an episode on North Korea for a new weekly HBO series.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and former NBA player Dennis Rodman attend an exhibition game featuring the Harlem Globetrotters, at an arena in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013.

/ Vice

Kim, a diehard basketball fan, told the former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls star that he hoped the visit would break the ice between the United States and North Korea, said Shane Smith, founder of the New York-based VICE media company.

• Rodman tells N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un: "You have a friend for life"
• Tweets, pics give real-time peek into North Korea
• Dennis Rodman worms his way into North Korea in the name of "basketball diplomacy"

Dressed in a blue Mao suit, Kim laughed and slapped his hands on a table during the game at Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium as he sat nearly knee to knee with Rodman. Rodman, the man who once turned up in a wedding dress to promote his autobiography, wore a dark suit and dark sunglasses, but still had on his nose rings and other piercings. A can of Coca-Cola sat on the table before him in photos shared with AP by VICE.

Smith, after speaking to the VICE crew in Pyongyang, said Kim and Rodman "bonded" and chatted in English, though Kim primarily spoke in Korean through a translator.

Thursday's game ended in a 110-110 tie, with two Americans playing on each team alongside North Koreans. After the game, Rodman addressed Kim in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands of North Koreans and told him, "You have a friend for life," VICE spokesman Alex Detrick told AP.

At an "epic feast" later, the leader plied the group with food and drinks and round after round of toasts were made, Duffy said in an email to AP.

Duffy said he invited Kim to visit the United States, a proposal met with hearty laughter from the North Korean leader.

Kim said he hoped sports exchanges would promote "mutual understanding between the people of the two countries," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

North Korea and the U.S. fought on opposite sides of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953. The foes never signed a peace treaty, and do not have diplomatic relations.

Rodman's trip is the second attention-grabbing American visit this year to North Korea. Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, made a four-day trip in January to Pyongyang, but did not meet the North Korean leader.

The Obama administration had frowned on the trip by Schmidt, who was accompanied by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, but has avoided criticizing Rodman's outing, saying it's about sports.

[hypnotoad72]

Rodman, why don't you live like the people in NK do before you praise that leader or his progenitor? Your ignorance is astounding, but I'll admit you're human as well... but having said that...

IS Rodman in support of Kim's horrid treatment of the people he rules over?! THAT is what he's implying by praising this little leader of his.

Rodman doesn't mind that N Korea wants to use nuclear weapons on an offensive nature (as opposed to defensive, but I prefer nobody uses them - if somebody does then use them as defense, since nobody should be using them as means to strike out.)?

Does Rodman know N Korea has been doing nuke tests and hoping to build a missile that reaches the US? For the sake of offensive war?

Bush starting wars preemptively was bad enough...

[BigBlivefromny]

Obviously the visit had one purpose. Money and to sell stuff. Rodman obviously is broke and making sure he placed a Coke can in plain view...check from Coca Cola? What losers.

[microdean]

Dennis, If Nixon could win over China with a table tennis match, you can do it with your noble sportsmanship and humanity.

[hypnotoad72]

LiberalLiars,

Apart from calling him an idiot so baselessly, you brought up a fair point - Rodman has zero care for anyone except himself. Or itself, I don't care which term is used.

Microdean's ulterior comment, while somewhat shrouded, and assuming I picked up on it correctly, is poignant as well.

[Transatlantique]

Rodman is an example of an uneducated man who made it big and is out of touch with the truth. He wouldn't think KIm was so great if he were one of their starving.

[hypnotoad72]

LiberalLiars is correct with this factet. Rodman wants cheap attention, and the best way to get attention is to be shamelessly provocative. Some shock jock radio DJs and talk show hosts do it all the time.

Transatlantique's point is even more valid, since I don't believe Rodman really knows the score. If he did, then Rodman is just as vile and degenerate as Kimmy there...

Maybe Rodman will have the parts needed to go into more detail. Right now, there's nothing good coming from his antics... which is just par for the proverbial course.

[Bocephus_Moonshine]

Some people are too stupid to learn from Jane Fonda's mistakes.

[hypnotoad72]

Well, some claim John McCain squealed to get free medical care from the Viet Cong...

But they're all old, addled, and puppets these days, who cares what McCain or Fonda say?

[pitai]

It doesn't take much awesomeness to be awesomner than you,Rodman.Unless there is an hidden agenda, which I doubt, you're a moron.

[lillyhorton]

I am curious where people have developed their ideas about Kim Jong Un. I have never been to North Korea and neither have all these posters. Some people may have been stationed in South Korea and have been brainwashed by the US government in believing North Korea is Bad. North Korean curcumstances are different than in the US. They have few resources to sustain life. You can't put someone on a rock and expect them to grow a bountiful crop. Kim Jong Un has yet to prove his leadership however I expect good things to come from him.

[YOUAREIGNORANT]

Talk about brainwashed. You must live in a cave to make the statements you made. Have you ever even listened or read any news about North Korea in your life? Fact: They have sanctions placed on them by the United Nations which they continually violate. Fact: Their leaders are fat while the people starve. Fact: They continually make threats to both the U.S. and South Korea. In the future when you make comments try and obtain a little knowledge before you open mouth and insert foot.

[Non-Political]

lilly,

Are you serious?!!!

[Booleyman]

Coca-Cola can do business in NKorea? Or did Drod smuggle it in.

[judymar14]

Words from an idiot who has - most likely - never read a newspaper.

[OweninNJ]

The Kim family: great guys. Just ask anyone who lives there, they'll tell you. And what the hell were the Globetrotters doing in North Korea?